Joe Delano Rozell, 85, passed away peacefully with his immediate family surrounding him on July 3rd at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. Joe was born in Garrison, Missouri, on a cold Thursday morning to Sallie and Ray Rozell. Joe was the fourth of four kids, and even though he was the baby of the family he likely started making detailed to-do lists for his siblings as soon as he learned to write, a characteristic that stayed with him his entire life. After graduating high school at Chadwick, Joe attended Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar where he played basketball and was a dead-eye from the free-throw line, another characteristic that he maintained his entire life. After college he was hired at his alma-mater of Chadwick and served as high school principal first at Chadwick, then at Fair Grove High School, then Ozark High School and finally finished his career as a teacher and principal at Sparta High School. He had a 31-year career in education. During the time he was working as a high school principal, Joe also maintained an active beef cattle farm in Garrison. He retired from teaching at the age of 51 and became a full-time farmer. He was always known by cattle buyers and other farmers as a person who raised some of the finest calves in the country. He loved every single thing about farming, feeding and caring for his cattle till nearly the last day of his life. Joe also enjoyed playing golf and reading his bible, continuing to teach Sunday School and deepening his relationship with God throughout both his professional and retirement years. Joe is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Sue Rozell, his daughter, Tracy Stepp and her husband Tim Stepp, Garrison, his son Tim Rozell and his wife Marcia of Manhattan, Kansas, and his son Tyler Rozell and his wife Kari of Sparta. His grandchildren are Todd Stepp and his wife Tara of Nashville, Tennessee, Sam Rozell and his wife Laura of San Diego, California, Josie Schneider and her husband Joachim Schneider of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Jaxson, London, Emerson and Cross Rozell of Sparta. His great grandchildren are Crosbi and Leighton Stepp of Nashville, Tennessee. Joe was a wonderful son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and his passing leaves a hole in our lives that can only be filled by the joy of the memories of our too-short time together. Funeral Service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday July 8, 2022 at Sparta High School. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday July 7, 2022 at Adams Funeral Home, Ozark. Joe will be laid to rest in Garrison Cemetery.
Published in Springfield News-Leader, July 5, 2022