Joseph "Joe" W. Whitesell

WHITESELL, Joseph W., age 83, of Miamisburg, passed away Saturday, November 2, 2024, at Austin Trace Health and Rehab. Joe retired as the produce manager in 1997 from Kroger in Kettering after 40 years of service to the company and the community. Kind, friendly, and often funny when communicating with others, Joe had a great sense of humor and was loved by all who knew him. His care and love for people made him someone that others wanted to be around. His favorite hobbies included fishing, boating, and camping. Over a span of 25 years, Joe, his family, and friends traveled to the Manitoulin Island in Canada on a yearly basis, where they rented cottages and enjoyed time out on the water, mostly enjoying his favorite hobby of fishing. In addition, he had a camper that he kept at Natural Springs Resort in New Paris, Ohio, where he and his wife enjoyed the weekends during the warmer months. They were also known to venture out on country drives during the warmer months, with the Made-Rite Sandwich Shoppe in Greenville often being the ultimate destination. Other notable traditions that Joe enjoyed with his family included vacations to the Outer Banks in North Carolina and trips to Florida. His love of southern gospel music was something that he was known for by his friends and family. Joe and his wife, Evelyn, would travel with friends in October each year to Gatlinburg for gospel music concerts, which were part of the fall Dollywood feature. Among many things, he will be remembered for always having Cracker Barrel fireballs in his pocket and his love of Wendy’s chili with lots of crackers, Marion’s pizza, Tootsie Roll Pops, popcorn, and vanilla milkshakes. He was also known as a big fan of the Cincinnati Reds, Bengals, and The OSU Buckeyes. When moving into assisted living, he humorously found the day displeasing because he was afraid he would miss the Buckeye game. Among all the things that Joe loved, his family was at the top of his list. He unconditionally loved his family and would go above and beyond to help each of them if needed. He adored his grandchildren and made a point to keep up on the events of their lives and was there to support them at every milestone. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Francis Whitesell; two brothers, George and Louis Riber; and two sisters, Ruth Habel and Charlotte Casey. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Evelyn; daughter and son-in-law, Kristin and Nicholas Blatz; and four grandchildren, Isabelle, Sophia, Anderson, and Brynn. The family will receive friends 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Wednesday, November 6 at the First Baptist Church in Bellbrook (aka The Brook). A funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM on Thursday at the church, followed by a committal service in Byron Cemetery. Pastor Nick Osborn will be officiating. Conner & Koch Funeral Home in Bellbrook is serving the family. If desired, contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, accessible via the link give.michaeljfox.org. Condolences may be made to the family at www.connerandkoch.com.

Joseph "Joe" W. Whitesell

March 1, 1941 - November 2, 2024