Josh Liljenquist's Father
Trent Lee Liljenquist
Trent Lee Liljenquist is Josh Liljenquist's father.
Josh describes his father as a loving, protective, and hardworking parent whose support was often expressed through long days, practical help, and simply showing up.
Showing up after a long drive
Trent worked about two hours from the family home. Josh says that despite the commute, his father did not miss Josh's basketball games through Josh's senior year of high school. He would make the trip to support his children and then return to work.
Josh says he and Jacob did not fully understand how financially tight things could be until their 20s. His summary of childhood is simple: they had a small house and a loving family.
Support when it was needed
Josh was frequently sick, including during college. On one occasion, Trent drove about an hour to Josh's college because Josh was sick and needed supplies and support.
Josh says that was not unusual for his father. Trent simply showed up when his children needed him.
Generosity through skilled labor
Josh remembers Trent helping people with HVAC, decks, plumbing-related work, and other manual labor, often without charge when someone genuinely needed help. Trent previously attempted an HVAC-related business called Leave It to Lilj.
Josh remembers the business being difficult to sustain because his father often did too much work for free or at very low cost for struggling families. That generosity reflected the way Trent approached people who needed help.
Josh remembers carrying heavy cast-iron tubs up flights of stairs with his father. The experience made him understand how physically exhausting the work could be, especially when Trent came home afterward to care for a child who was often sick.
Stories Trent shared
Trent served in the U.S. Army as an E-4 with the 92nd Engineers or 92nd Engineer Battalion, associated with the 24th Infantry Division. He has talked with Josh about Fort Stewart, Georgia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, and Fort Irwin, California.
He has also shared Gulf War era memories, including the Highway of Death, areas recently affected by combat, survivors, prisoners, armored vehicles, and operations involving the 24th Infantry Division and the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.
Protection, patriotism, and getting to know people
Josh says his father taught him to stand for the American flag, place a hand over his heart, respect veterans, and understand that freedom involved sacrifice. He describes Trent as protective of his wife and children, direct about what is on his mind, and one of Josh's biggest advocates.
Josh also remembers a relationship Trent developed with Cesar, a man who spends time at or receives services through Dorothy Day. Trent sometimes accompanies Josh. Josh says both men's faces light up when they see one another. The relationship reinforced a lesson Josh connects to his father: never judge someone before getting to know them.
A life of service
Trent served on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1989 through 1992 and left the service as a Specialist E-4. His MOS was 51B10, Carpentry and Masonry Specialist.
His service included an Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze service stars, and several qualification badges.
Family photographs
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Family ties
- Julie Ann Liljenquist, Josh Liljenquist's mother
- Ingrid Elizabeth Liljenquist, Josh Liljenquist's wife
- Jacob Liljenquist, Josh Liljenquist's older brother
A larger family legacy
Read Legacy of Service for the broader family story and People Who Shaped Josh for this growing collection.