Posted by Terry Powers on December 13, 2022:

Lt. Col Ward Currey Goessling Jr., 91, passed away peacefully in his Austin, TX home on Saturday May 27, 2017 holding the hand of his wife Elaine. Born in Norman, OK on December 5, 1925 to Captain Ward Goessling and Hellen Cason Goessling, Ward had two older sisters, Virginia and Jere Bill and a younger brother Frank following a year later. Nicknamed "Son", Ward was an army brat moving with his family from Oklahoma to Maine to North Carolina to Hawaii and finally Massachusetts during his childhood. He graduated High School from Noble & Greenough (commonly known as Nobles) in Dedham, MA in 1944 and from the United States Military Academy in Westpoint, NY in 1949. He received a Masters of Electrical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1962 and a Masters of Environmental Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1972. A member of the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat team (RCT), he served as an artillery forward observer during the Korean War during 1950-1951. His next assignment sent him to Ft. Campbell, KY with the 11th Airborne Division. From there he served in Trieste, Italy, Baumholder, Germany then back to Fort Sill, OK where he went to an advanced course in Artillery training which included traveling to Ft. Bliss. Ward was then assigned to teaching ROTC at the Pennsylvania Military College. He worked at the Pentagon from 1965-1967 in Research and Development working on the Sam-D Missle. He was then sent to Korea for a second tour. After an active and productive career in the military, he retired while stationed in Hawaii in 1970. With his Masters in Environmental Engineering, Ward worked at the Governor's office in Austin, TX in the Natural Resources Section for 10 years under 3 different governors. He then worked at Freese and Nichols for 2 years. Ward was humble, unassuming and kind using his considerable leadership skill and enthusiastic work ethic to help in many volunteer efforts but especially in the work of over three decades at the Settlement Home and at St. Matthew's Church. He is survived by his wife of 59 years Elaine Strauch Goessling; son Ward Currey Goessling III and his wife Yvonne; daughter Gretcen Lane; son Scott Frank Goessling and his wife Lucy; and daughter Karen Elaine Goessling. Ward's grandchildren Michelle Lane Loden and her husband John; Robert and David Hooker and Kaleb Goessling and two great granddaughters Colette and Pepper. Ward's family is immensely grateful to A-Med Hospice, in particular Megan Moses and Laurel Anderson, Connie, John, Julie, Janice and so many others for their loving care. Services will be held on Friday, June 9, 2017 at 1:30 pm at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 8134 Mesa Drive, Austin, TX 78759 Flowers can be sent to the family home or St. Matthew's Episcopal Church. Donations can be made in Ward's name to the Settlement Home and St. Matthew's Church. Published by Austin American-Statesman on Jun. 4, 2017.

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