Joseph Edward Ransdell

passed away on March 6, 2021, at Mease Countryside Hospital, Clearwater, Florida with his wife by his side. Joe was born in Berwyn, Illinois on July 26, 1947, to Charles Webster and Edna Jane Groth Ransdell. He moved with his parent to Wichita, Kansas as an infant and then to Florida at the age of 12. Joe was a 1965 graduate of Satellite High School, Satellite Beach, Florida where he played football and baseball.

Joe served his country in the United States Army from November 1965-1968, and then again from 1976-2008, in a career of both active and reserve duty. He retired as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4) on March 31, 2008, with more than 37 years of service. During that time he served as an Infantryman, a Military Policeman (MP), and then as a Criminal Investigation Command Special Agent (CID SA). As a CID SA he was trained in protective services and had the honor of accompanying many Secretaries of the Department of Defense on assignments that took him around the world. Following 9/11/2001, he was deployed several times – first to assist with the clean-up at the Pentagon rubble pile and later as the Chief of the Criminal Investigation Task Force (CITF) in Afghanistan that conducted investigations of detainees captured in the War on Terror. His love for his country and the U.S. Army remained a huge part of who he was.

Joe also served his community as a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Deputy. He joined the Sheriff’s Office in 1986 when he returned to Florida following his military service in Germany. He retired with 20 years of service as a road deputy in 2006.

On February 28, 1970, he married Jadene Lee Sloan in Satellite Beach, Florida. In their 51 years of marriage, they raised two sons, Michael Joseph, and Matthew Jaren. Michael has two sons, Aiden Michael, and Cody Lee who Joe adored. Joe was predeceased by his parents and is survived by one brother, Charles Philip (Glenda) Ransdell, Satellite Beach, Florida, and one sister, Nancy Jane Ransdell (Steven) Carey, Rockledge, Florida. He is also survived by three nieces, Shawna Ransdell Meyers, Julie Ransdell Abel, Jana Ransdell Abel, one nephew, Joey Jackson, and eight grand nieces and nephews.

Joe is also survived by a cousin, Karen Kenslow Huddleston.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2:00 pm on April 15, 2021, at Christ the Cornerstone Church, 5545 62nd Avenue North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33781. COVID-19 precautions will be enforced with masks and social distancing required. It is hoped to share the service by Zoom, as well. To get the Zoom link, send an email to [email protected].

A Committal Service will take place at 2:00 pm on April 16, 2021, at the Florida National Cemetery, 6502 SW 102nd Avenue, Bushnell, Florida 33513. Masks are required and the cemetery limits attendance to 50 people. The cemetery requests attendees arrive by 1:45 pm.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to one of Joe’s favorite organizations:

Wounded Warrior Project, support.woundedwarriorproject.org/Default.aspx?tsid=11585&ovr_acv_id=12177&campaignSource=ONLINE&source=BS21001AAABREAA&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-aGCBhCwARIsAHDl5x_zRX55PF95Qxufcw4_JRTONZjhE0wLC46PE-KWM3gDiUJ6PvcsP2AaAsq-EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial,

www.nleomf.org/donate/i/donate

The National Museum of the United States Army,

www.armyhistory.org/individual-giving-programs/tributes-gifts/