James S. Ressler

The heavenly band gained a new trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn player, James S. Ressler, 87, of Reedsville on January 23, 2021, after a 6-month battle with cancer.

                Born May 29, 1933, in Lebanon, PA, he was the son of Samuel F. and Margaret Hollinger Ressler. On November 30, 1985, he married his surviving wife, Nancy Mowrer Ressler. They were able to have 35 wonderful years together.

                Surviving are his daughters, Connie R. Parisi of Doylestown, and Penny L. Henry of Horsham, two grandchildren Alison D. Treston (David) of South Burlington, VT and Andrew D. Parisi (Arianne) of Golden, CO. He has three great-grandchildren, Samuel and Quinn Parisi, and Elliott Treston. He also has two dear cousins, Linda MacGregor of Warminster, and Susan Marakovits of Allentown. He was preceded in death by a son, James Scott on December 10, 1969.

                Jim’s whole life was in music. He started playing trumpet at an early age. After he graduated from Lebanon High School in 1951, he attended the US Navy School of Music and served in the Navy band in Washington, D.C. and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 1959, where he was president of the PSU Blue Band, with a degree in Music Education. He began his teaching career in the Pennsbury School District. He was a teacher in the Juniata County School District for 4 1/2 years before coming to Mifflin County to direct the Lewistown Area High School band. He later taught most instrumental beginners all over the county. One of his proudest accomplishments was writing the Lewistown Area High School alma mater and fight song and getting them into the Library of Congress.

                He played with many area bands, the Continentals, The Tarnished Six, The Deacons of Dixieland, and Heritage Brass. He also played in the Millerstown Brass Band. With all his bands he was able to play all over the United States and the UK. For years he was part of the HersheyPark Arena band and played for the celebrities and shows that came to Hershey, from the Ice Capades to Barnum and Bailey Circus to Sonny and Cher to George Burns and Liberace. He loved to arrange music and has numerous arrangements for quartets to big bands.

                Jim was an avid golfer and when it was too cold to play golf, he played cards with his buddies. He enjoyed woodworking, fishing, skiing, traveling to the Caribbean to scuba and snorkel, and hunting at his cabin in Potter County.

                Jim was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Lewistown, the American Legion Post # 287, Milroy, the Millerstown Moose, and the Mifflin County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees.

                Due to the pandemic, there will be a Celebration of Life service later when all his bandmates, students, and friends can participate.

                 Memorial contributions in Jim’s memory can be made to St. John’s Lutheran Church Music program, 120 North Main Street, Lewistown, PA  17044 or to the Mifflin County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees Scholarship Fund, (MCC/PASR), 131 Kearns Road, Lewistown, PA, 17044.

         The family would like to thank the Geisinger Hospice Program, Angels Among Us, and caregivers Deb Feydo and Val Condren for their care and compassion during his last few days.

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