Joseph J. Battaglia; 54-Year County Resident

Longtime Ventura resident Joseph J. Battaglia has died following a lengthy illness. He was 79.

Battaglia was born Feb. 11, 1920, in Buffalo, N.Y. He served in Europe during World War II and then worked for Continental Oil Co. for more than 20 years.

Battaglia, a 54-year Ventura County resident was active in the Knights of Columbus Council No. 2498 in Ventura and volunteered for the Senior Nutrition Program of Ventura County.

He was also a longtime member of Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic church in Ventura, where he served for many years as an usher.

Battaglia died Thursday. He was preceded in death by his wife of 46 years, Nita.

Battaglia is survived by a son, Joe Battaglia of Tujunga; two daughters, Kathy Mills of Ventura and Terri Bengston of Concord; a sister, Gloria Leach of St. Petersburg, Fla., and eight grandchildren.

There will be a viewing from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home in Ventura and a vigil at 7 p.m.

The funeral service will be held at Our Lady of the Assumption in Ventura at 9:30 a.m. Friday, with interment at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Assn. of Ventura County, located in Oxnard.