Ronald D. Dressen

RONALD DALE DRESSEN was born on August 18, 1934 to Laurence and Elfreda (Petersen) Dressen in Tyler, Minnesota. He was baptized at St. Dionysius Catholic Church in Tyler, and later confirmed at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bellevue, Nebraska. Ron attended school through the eighth grade in Lake Benton, Minnesota, and graduated from Bellevue High School in Bellevue. He enlisted into the United States Navy in 1953 where he served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. One of his numerous campaigns was his ship’s participation in the hydrogen bomb tests that took place in the Pacific during the 1950’s. Later in his career he was stationed at Rota, Spain where he worked under and with Admiral Hyman Rickover, the father of the nuclear Navy, and during that time they became very good friends. In 1975 he retired from the Navy with a rank of Senior Chief after 22 years of service. During his service, he was awarded the Korean Service Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal among others, having served on various ships and having traveled numerous places. After retirement, Ron moved back to Bellevue to care for his aging mother until her death in 1981. He then moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where he lived until the early 2000’s, when after a routine physical, he was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. Because of this, he left Las Vegas and relocated to the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, DC, where he was treated and cured of the cancer at the Walter Reed National Medical Center. He lived there in reasonably good health for several years before he began to decline rapidly due to several issues including symptoms from his exposure to radiation during the bomb tests, and also Agent Orange during his time in Vietnam. Over the next couple of years, he moved from independent living to assisted living, then finally onto long-term care. It was in the wee hours on Monday, November 21, 2022, he met his Lord at the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C. at the age of 88 years, three months and one day. May He Rest in Peace.

Ron was a member of the Veterans of Foreign War, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and Fleet Reserve Association. Horse racing was one of his interests.

Ron is lovingly remembered by his brother, James Dressen of Omaha, Nebraska; and other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; and a brother, LaMoyne Dressen.