Excerpted from unknown newspaper, Tuesday, March 24, 1992:
" Obituaries
Lt.Col. Joe Dean Hennessee was a star athlete at West Point, where he graduated in 1942. He played three years as a lineman under legendary Army football coach Red Blaik and was captain of the Army wrestling team his senior year.
"He was a splendid athlete", said his wife, Marie. "He was an accomplished horseman, he played golf and like to go swimming".
Hennessee, 75, who lived in New Mexico most of his life, died of cancer Thursday at St. Joseph West Mesa Hospital.
A memorial service was held Saturday at St. Michael's and All The Angels Episcopal Church with the Rev. Brian Taylor officiating.
Hennessee was born in Hot Springs but was reared in Alamogordo.
He graduated from high school at New Mexico Military Institute in 1937 and from the junior college there in 1938.
He served as a tactical officer at NMMI until he enrolled at West Point in 1939 and graduated in 1942. Hennessee served in the Army for 22 years until his retirement in 1963.
He saw action with the 89th Infantry Division in France and Germany during World War II.
He served as a military adviser in Pusan, South Korea, in 1947-48, and was ROTC instructor at the University of Puerto Rico from 1952 to 1955.
From 1956 to 1958 he served as military adviser in Tehran, Iran, and at Taiwan from 1960-1962.
"He decided to come home to New Mexico when he retired in 1963", said his wife.
"He received his master's degree in education at the University of New Mexico in 1965, then taught math at Manzano High School until he retired again in 1982.".
Survivors include his wife, Marie Shelton, of Albuquerque; three daughters, Penelope, the wife of Lynn Mackie of Albuquerque, Pamela, the wife of Col. Robert Clarkson of Dyess Air Force Base, and Patricia, the wife of Dr. Michael Olives of Belen; a son, Timothy of San Diego; and 10 grandchildren."