The Radnor Heritage Society is deeply saddened to announce the death of Joseph “Joe” Ronald Preston on Friday, January 3rd, 2025.  Joe served the RHS for decades in a number of roles chiefly genealogist and historian of the Radnor area.  He documented the family genealogies of over 21,000 people with roots to Radnor.  This work can be seen on our website here by clicking on the Radnor Genealogy tab at the top of the Homepage.  Information for these files was gathered from many sources, including but not limited to personal interviews with Radnor descendants, various books and articles written by Radnor ancestors, and the many on-line resources available to the public.

Joe’s death leaves a void in our organization.  Many have commented that Joe is irreplaceable and he is! His unique set of genealogy skills, knowledge of Radnor, Ohio, and United States history along with his many personal relationships with those in the Radnor area set him apart. Those who worked with Joe over the years relied on him for his vast historical knowledge of Radnor, his willingness to track down missing relatives, his intelligence, and his wicked sense of humor.  He was our friend, our source of information, and a constant joy to work with.  Joe will be forever missed!

The below obituary details Joe’s many accomplishments outside the museum.