Joel Bradley McNenny was a man who spent his life with the dream of helping those in need. He dedicated his life to the practice of mindfulness and the Buddhist teachings, as he believed it was a path to easing the suffering that he witnessed throughout the world. The way in which he touched the lives of everyone he encountered is proof of his devotion to the betterment of society and humanity as a whole. Through all the injustice he witnessed in his life, he never stopped believing that the world could find peace. 

Born September 3rd, 1964 Joel McNenny was the third child of Vivian and James McNenny and their first born son. He entered the world with two older sisters, Kerry and Colleen, sisters that he would admire through the entirety of his life. Shortly after his birth, Joel met his best friend in the form of his younger brother, Jay, who would always remain his closest companion. He fell in love in college with his wife of twelve years, Minh McNenny, with whom he had two children with. His daughter, Jasmine McNenny, and his son, Joshua McNenny, both loved him with the entirety of their hearts. He was a father who never wasted a second in expressing his love every single day and his devotion to creating the best lives possible for his children.  

Joel's love not only extended to his family and relatives, but also to the lives of his clients and the children he taught. For twenty years he spent his days resolving the issues at schools as a counselor. While in his position, Joel looked around at what could be improved and implemented multiple programs that involved mindfulness to help the children. In that period, one of his programs found great success and was acknowledged by Congressman Tim Ryan for all the benefits it gave the kids. Shortly after, his workplace moved to Total Health and Wellness and he was introduced to his desire to share his experience of mindfulness with people on a personal level. 

In 2015, Joel moved out to California in order to help his son chase his dreams. In that time, he found a life that gave him exactly what he was searching for. At "Perfectly Here" the center for mindfulness, Joel found friends that cared about him so deeply that their connection is difficult to express in mere words. He worked for 4 years as an instructor, helping dozens of people benefit from his knowledge of mindfulness. The owner of the center, Manijeh Motaghy, would become one of Joel's biggest inspirations and greatest friends. In his time working there, he was also introduced to his friend, neighbor, and disc golf partner Randy Shultz. These two people would give him the peace of life and environment to write the many stories he had spent years cultivating in his mind, as well as publish his own novel. It was this life that allowed him the freedom to finally allow his creativity to flourish.

Joel McNenny passed away from a heart attack on May 27th, 2020. He lived a modest life in line with the teachings he so cherished, filled with the beauty of the natural world. It was a life that gave him peace and made him truly happy in the end. He will be forever missed by his family and friends, who know that every moment that time passes in his absence, the world lacks a light that once burned brightest in a room. In lieu of flowers, any contributions you wish to make in his name, please send to the center "Perfectly Here", which he loved so dearly. https://perfectlyhere.org/donate-here/

On behalf of the family, I would like to thank everyone for helping us honor the memory of my father. May he find peace once again.