Joseph Reed Ingersoll, retail executive

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Joseph Reed Ingersoll, 77, of Chestnut Hill, a retail executive, died June 22 at Pennsylvania Hospital after a short admittance.

Mr. Ingersoll had a business career in retailing, including department store management that took him to executive positions in Philadelphia, Dallas and San Francisco, as well as Hawaii and Japan, with Federated Stores, Duty-Free Shops and others. He also was a sales executive for Concept Systems, a computer firm that developed systems for retail chain store operations.

Raised in Pennllyn, Montgomery County, Mr. Ingersoll attended Chestnut Hill Academy before graduating from St. Paul’s School in Concord, N.H., where he was captain of the boxing team.

He went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was president of Zeta Psi Fraternity and had enrolled in the Maine Corps PLC officers program. He was later honorably discharged following a civilian injury. He also earned an MBA at Penn’s Wharton School.

Upon retirement, Mr. Ingersoll volunteered many hours at Pennypack Farm in Horsham, where his carpentry and gardening talents, as well as his extraordinary fundraising skills, contributed to a Community Support Agriculture – CSA – program to provide a variety of home-grown produce to the community. He also helped to start this food co-op at the Highlands in Fort Washington, where he served on the board of directors.

Perhaps Mr. Ingersoll’s most memorable project was a team effort with his wife, Gretchen, and their therapy dogs – black and yellow labs – making weekly visits to Pennsylvania Hospital to share time with patients and staff. For the past 12 years, countless patients had their spirits uplifted by visits to their bedside from Nicholas, Anastasia, Elvira and Leonard, their new fourfooted friends.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Ingersoll is survived by sons Reed and Richard; a brother, Bob and eight first cousins. Mr. Ingersoll and his former wife, the late Patricia Royce, were the parents of Reed and Richard. Services will be private.

Contributions may be made to Pennypack Farms, c/o The Joe Ingersoll Infrastructure Fund, 685 Main Road, Horsham, PA 19044, or the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, 909 N. Washington St.. Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314.

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