Ress, Joseph Edward, 70, of Valrico, FL, passed away November 2, 2015. He was born on April 18, 1945 in Youngstown, Ohio. He was the son of Joseph V. Ress and the late Mary Ress. He graduated from Ursuline High School in 1963. He entered into the sacrament of Holy Matrimony with the late Shirley Ress in 1969. After a few years he moved to Tallahassee, Florida. It was there that he welcomed his son, Jeffery, into the world. After making his home there for a few years, he moved to Valrico, Florida in 1980, and became a member of Nativity Catholic Church in Brandon. He became an active and involved parishioner by helping with the sound system during Sunday mass with the choir, and by providing technical expertise during the special events that took place at Easter and Christmas. In his professional trade, he worked in various telecommunications positions throughout his career. In each job that he had, he worked long, hard hours to provide for his family. He always got up early, often came home late, and frequently worked from home after normal business hours were over. And no matter what title he held at the time, he was always meticulous in his work, and passionately focused on providing excellent customer service to everyone; a trait passed down from his father. He made it a point to really get to know people, to know their names, and to learn facts about them and their families so that when he would see them again, he could make the visit more personal than him just being there to fix a problem. He liked the variety and challenge of each new day of work. Ironically, the only time he would get sick was when he was on vacation. He enjoyed understanding how things worked. He liked taking things apart to understand how all of the pieces worked together as a system in order to accomplish something. Once in a while there were a few pieces leftover after he took something apart...but he was quick to point out that they probably weren't necessary anyway. After his career ended, his spirit of service lived on as he expanded his parish involvement by volunteering at the Nativity Novemberfest and the Nativity Outreach Food Bank and Food Pantry. Each Thursday for several years, he would donate many hours of his time to serve those who were less fortunate than himself. When he became a resident of StrawBerry Ridge in Valrico, his commitment to serving others continued, despite his deteriorating health. He helped neighbors on many occasions by performing inside repairs, fixing sprinklers, doing lawn maintenance, providing transportation to appointments, helping out with the sound board for the Rhythm Band, and cheerfully interacting with neighbors' pets in a language that only he and the pets could understand. He is survived by his son Jeffery (Elena) of Plant City, Florida, and four grandchildren. He is survived by his father, Joseph V. Ress and two sisters, Patti Brown and Nancy Christie. Even though his physical limitations increased over time, his spirit of service kept him going and prevented him from letting an opportunity to assist others pass him by. He just couldn't say no. This was the way that he lived his life. Proverbs 11:25 reads, "He who confers benefits will be amply enriched, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Indeed Joseph refreshed the lives of many people with whom he came in contact, and his family, his friends, and his community will greatly miss his kind, loving, and unselfish spirit of service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Nativity Catholic Church-Food Bank 705 East Brandon Boulevard Brandon, Florida 33511.