Getty Captain Lee Rosbach in 2020
In July 2019, Below Deck star Captain Lee Rosbach’s son, Josh, tragically passed away after a long battle with addiction.
On the one-year anniversary of his son’s death, Rosbach took to Instagram to pay tribute to his late son. Rosbach posted many photos of Josh, writing a heartfelt message in the caption. “It was a year ago today that my bride, Mary Anne and I lost our beloved Son Josh to his demons,” Rosbach wrote in the caption. “The struggle continues, but we’re getting thru it. Thanks to all of you out there for your unconditional support, it does not go unnoticed and touches me in the very depths of my soul. We are both very grateful for the random acts of love and kindness that continue to come our way.”
Rosbach continued, writing, “To Josh, we will always carry you in our hearts and will do so until our souls leave our bodies to join you. We love you son and are very proud of the kind and loving person you were. Love, Mom & Pops.”
Captain Lee Struggled With His Son’s Passing
During an October 2019 interview with Page Six, Rosbach opened up more about his son’s death. “I hate going to sleep, and I hate waking up,” Rosbach revealed. “There’s a hole there that can’t be filled, and the person who said, ‘time heals all wounds,’ is full of it. It doesn’t. The only thing that time may do for you is allow you to learn the skills you need to cope with the situation that you’re dealing with. As parents, you’re not designed to bury your children.”
Rosbach continued, telling Page Six, “The hard times for me are the alone times, when I’m on my own. Those are hard. I don’t laugh a lot any more. Things aren’t too funny. Once in a while something will slip in, and it feels good when it happens. And it gives you that glimmer of hope that you can get through it.”
Captain Lee Opened up About His Son’s Death on ‘Below Deck’
During the January 18 episode of Below Deck, Rosbach opened up more about the death of his son to his chief steward, Francesca Rubi. “My youngest son passed away last year,” Rosbach revealed to Rubi. “I found him. He died from a drug overdose, opioids. It’s been a rough year.”
Rosbach continued, “It’s the last thing I see when I go to bed at night, and the first thing I see when I wake up every morning. It’s a struggle. Right now, everything is so fresh and so raw. It’s hard to imagine you can survive something like this… I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it.”
In his October 2019 interview with Page Six, Rosbach remembered his son as a “loving guy.” Rosbach told Page Six, “He was such a loving child, and guy. His sister would be having a bad day, so he’d drive by her house and drop a little note with a smiley face in the mailbox and just write on there, ‘Love Josh. Hope your day’s better tomorrow.’ There wasn’t anybody that knew him that didn’t realize he had an unconditional love for life. He took a beating from a world that he never intended any harm to whatsoever, as most addicts do.”
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