Joseph R. Stotesbury, age 101, of La Plata, MD, passed away at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home on August 19, 2017 with his wife and daughter by his side.
He was born in Pantego (Pike Road), NC, the fourth of nine children born to the late Joseph L. Stotesbury and Annie S. Davis Stotesbury.
He was a U. S. Army World War II veteran (34th ENGR BN – Schofield Bks/CO “C” 65th ENGR BN 25th Division) and Pearl Harbor survivor. He served at Luzon, Guadalcanal, Northern Solomons, Central Pacific and received the American Defense Medal with one bronze star, Asiatic Pacific Theater Campaign Medal with four bronze service stars, and Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one bronze star.
After the war, he was employed by the Capital Transit Company and later served as a Supreme Court of the United States Police Officer. He was a charter member of both the Ft. Dupont Masonic Lodge, Washington, DC and the Oxon Hill, MD Masonic Lodge. He enjoyed playing checkers and billiards with friends at the Clark Senior Center in La Plata.
He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Cecile; daughter Jennifer; sons Brian and David Paul (died in infancy); five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
A special thank you to the MedStar St. Mary’s County Hospital Hospice and to the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home staff for their care and support.
A private service and interment will be held at Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery at a later date.
