Joseph Thomas Olszewski, 96, of Lexington, Virginia died Wednesday, February 23, 2022 at The Mayflower retirement home.

Born February 5, 1926 in Bayonne, New Jersey, he was a son of the late Stanley Olszewski and Josephine Rogowski Olszewski.

ln addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth May Ferdon Olszewski, and daughter, Kara Lee Guenther.

Joseph graduated from Bayonne High School in 1943. He entered the U. S. Army shortly thereafter. After completion of Gunnery School in 1944, he joined the crew of a B29 as a remote control gunner flying missions out of Tinicum lsland over Japan.

After the war, he went to Fairleigh Dickenson College and obtained both his bachelor's and master's degree in business and industrial engineering.

He worked for Bendix Corp for 28 years, taking early retirement in 1978. During his time there he was a superintendent in the space division, building guidance systems for the Saturn rockets that carried astronauts into space.

He and his wife Ruth moved to Natural Bridge that same year and bought a small cabin surrounded by the Jefferson National Forest. He quickly found a job at Blue Bird Bus Company, where he worked in materials management and the production department.

ln the decades following, Joseph in his spare time expanded the cabin with many additions. He was active in the Masons most of his adult life and both were active in the Humane Society. They kept a family of dogs and cats. He retired in 1991 when the factory closed. In 2012, he and Ruth moved to Buena Vista.

Joseph is survived by his son-in-law, George Guenther; two granddaughters, Jennifer Guenther and Sarah Guenther Lofgren; and one great-granddaughter, Madeline.

Services are private.

Arrangements are by Harrison Funeral Home.