Joseph Wessinger

1966 - 2021

Xenia Joe Wessinger passed away on Dec. 26, 2021 from complications from COVID, the one obstacle he could not overcome . He was born in Newark, Ohio on July 27, 1966 to Frank and Madelyn (Plaine) Wessinger.

Joe's story is an amazing one. We can all remember how brave he was, how hard he tried to have a full, adult life, and how much he achieved.

Joe was a beloved family member - nephew of Joan Wallick and Rosalie Ungar; brother to Lisa Eliason (Lenny), uncle to Megan Rhodes (Tiger) and Sam Eliason (Ashley); great-uncle to Max, Julia, Charlotte, and Benji, and husband to Denise Colvin.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Madelyn Wessinger.

To many he was a beloved friend.

To all of us he was a worthy role model, a person, a force.

Against so many odds, Joe pushed the envelope toward success and fulfillment. He never quit trying: he graduated from college, worked for Walmart for many years, volunteered his time in the Athens' community, and owned his own home. He married in 2018 and found that a camper, the outdoors and a love were just about as good as it gets in this world.

Joe loved to camp so he camped, he loved to laugh so he laughed, he loved his sister Lisa, so he spoke with her just about every night.

When Joe was crippled by arthritic hips, enduring hip replacements. When his kidneys failed, he withstood the discomfort and went to dialysis; when a kidney transplant became available, Joe opted for surgery and accepted the challenges his choice entailed.

And for a while, he thrived. He was proud of himself, and his pride was well based. Everyone who knew Joe was happy for him and inspired by him.

What more can one ask of life? To reach, to stretch, to achieve.

Joe did all of that.

In the years Joe had, he managed to experience so much of "the good" that life has to offer.

Let's remember Joe Wessinger as the beloved, brave and gentle man he was - a man who against so many odds achieved the adult, independent life for which he longed, who married and loved and was connected, a man who was a person and who made a decent life for himself, a man who did the best he could and who, therefore, remains a role model and inspiration to us all.

Joe will be laid to rest Friday, Dec. 31, 2021 in the Colvin family plot, Spring Valley Cemetery, Greene County, Ohio with Rabbi Elena Stein officiating.

Joe's love of camping came from his years at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Tikvah Fund at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, 67 E. Madison Street, Suite 1905, Chicago, Illinois 60603 or donate online at www.ramahwisconsin.com. Joseph Wessinger