Col. Joseph V. Ress

Col. Joseph V. Ress, AUS (ret.) passed away Nov. 5, 2015, with his daughter Nancy Christie and grandson Joseph Bowell by his side.
Joseph was born March 12, 1922, in Youngstown, Ohio, the firstborn son of Joseph Stephen Ress and Marion (Papp) Ress, both of Hungary.
In June 1940, Joseph joined the National Guard, 37th Infantry Division, but received a dependency discharge following the death of his father in November of the same year. In October 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Corps as a private. In March 1943 he was promoted to corporal and enrolled in the Officer Candidate School, receiving his commission as second lieutenant three months later. This was followed by his promotion to second lieutenant in 1943 and first lieutenant in 1945.
During World War II, he served at various locations in Italy and Corsica as a cryptographic officer until November 1945, when he was granted his terminal leave and promotion to captain in the U.S. Army Reserve Signal Corps.
Joseph remained in the Signal Corps and continued to advance in his military career in the Reserve, attaining the rank of major in 1954, lieutenant colonel in 1961 and colonel in 1968, before retiring in 1982. While in the Reserve, he served as commanding officer of the 83rd Signal Battalion (part of 83rd Infantry Division). He was awarded the American Defense Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Medal with four stars, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the Army Reserve Medal with attachments.
Joseph’s civilian career included 41 years of service with Ohio Bell Telephone, retiring in 1982 as a plant manager. He also earned both Ohio and Florida real estate licenses, holding the latter until 2013. His affiliations included membership in the Reserve Officers Association, the Telecom Pioneers (Telephone Pioneers), Knights of Columbus (3rd and 4th degree) and The American Legion of Lehigh Acres, Fla.
Joseph is survived by his daughters, Nancy (Ress) Christie of Austintown, with whom he made his home, and Patricia (Ress) Brown of Mission Viejo, Calif.; his brother, Albert Ress of Kokomo, Ind.; seven grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary (Medvec), whom he married May 16, 1942; his son, Joseph Edward, and granddaughter Alysia Brown.