Joseph R. Ewell Sr., 87

CAMBRIDGE - Joseph R. Ewell Sr., 87, passed away on Sunday, May 18, 2008 at the Dorchester General Hospital.

He was born at Elliott on May 16, 1921, and was a son of the late Reginald McKinsey and Willie Insley Ewell.

Mr. Ewell was born and raised at Elliott. As a young man he had worked at Bethlehem Steel. He enlisted in the US Army on June 21, 1944 and served in the Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe. He was Honorably Discharged from the Army on Nov. 18, 1945.

On March 14, 1941 he was married to the former Charlotte Airey. She passed away on Feb. 3, 2002.

Mr. Ewell had worked at the Eastern Shore Hospital Center as an aide for 25 years and had retired in 1975. He was a member of Dorchester Post 91 American Legion and Choptank Memorial Post 7460 VFW.

He enjoyed crabbing, fishing and being on the water as well as NASCAR. He had been a patient at Dorchester General Hospital for the past two weeks.

Survivors include two daughters, Joan Johnson of Secretary, Jo Ann Tieder of Cambridge; seven grandchildren, Marcy Murphy, James I. Johnson III, Penny Bradley, Russell C. Ewell, Joseph M. Johnson, Michael D. Johnson, Corey Gibbs; 11 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren; a daughter-in-law, Joyce M. Ewell of Cambridge and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by a son, Joseph R. Ewell Jr.; four sisters, Kathleen Meredith, Virginia Hurley, Oma Dukes and Tiny Bramble and one brother, Vivian Ewell.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday at the Thomas Funeral Home in Cambridge with the Rev. Mary Ann Farnell officiating. Burial will follow at the East New Market Cemetery. The family will receive friends during the hour preceding the service.

Pallbearers will be James I. Johnson III, Mark Johnson, Michael Johnson, Rusty Ewell, Corey Gibbs, Russell Murphy, Danny Airey and Ernie Dukes.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Coastal Hospice Foundation, P.O. Box 1733, Salisbury, MD 21802 or to the American Diabetes Association, 114 Baptist St., Salisbury, MD 21801.

Letters of condolence may be sent to www.thomasfuneralhomepa.com.