Joseph O. "Joe" Preston

1941 - 2019

Joseph "Joe" O. Preston Joseph (Joe) Ozro Preston, 78, Greenwood, Indiana passed away October 7, 2019. Joe was born June 24, 1941 to Ozro W. and Helen F. Preston in Ottawa, Kansas. He attended DeLaSalle High School in Kansas City, Missouri and later joined the United States Air Force, ultimately being stationed in Germany. He later earned a degree in Engineering from University of Findlay. Joe married Katherine (Kay) Nichols on October 16, 1965 in Kansas City, Missouri and the couple had two daughters, Katherine Ann and Joanne Marie. Joe enjoyed a long, successful career in engineering and manufacturing with stints at Remington Arms, Dupont and Teledyne WaterPik. He played as hard as he worked, driving his young family on many vacations to Estes Park, Colorado, Disney Land, Minnesota and Panama City, Florida. Joe admired landscape painter Bob Ross and spent many hours trying to master Ross's 'happy trees' technique. He loved to garden and feed the birds. He taught friends and family how to fish "the Preston way" and to pick up a crawdad without getting 'pinched.' He shared the practical bits of life's wisdom he learned, always told with a dry wit and a quick grin. Joe bravely taught his children and grandchildren how to drive telling them to "always back the car into the parking space on Sunday morning, so you can get to the donut store first." Most years, he made Thanksgiving pumpkin pies from scratch, followed by a double-batch of cinnamon rolls, all while saying "no rapid-rise yeast it's suspect." "Chewed bubble-gum can patch a bleeding head wound," he told his daughters. "True story." Joe was also a skilled woodworker, bookcase builder, basement remodeler and master plumber. He installed many a garbage disposal holding fast to his philosophy to "always get the 1/2 HP the 1/4s are junk." He was unwavering in his devotion to his family, his trust in God and his Catholic faith. Joe's calm strength and patient, loving guidance will be deeply missed. Joe is preceded in death by his parents, wife Kay and younger brother, James Patrick. He is survived by his sister, Mary Elizabeth VanSchoelandt; daughters Kathy McNew and Joanne Vaughan, his beloved grandchildren: Meghan McNew, Hannah Alexander, Andrew Vaughan, and Sally Vaughan; nieces, Maria Preston-Cargill, Anna Douglas-Rose and nephew, Charles VanSchoelandt. The family plans a private burial service.