Barbara Dressel
March 01, 1953 - June 18, 2025
Obituary
Barbara Joan Dressel, age 72, passed away on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at North Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, after suffering from complications of Parkinson’s Disease. She was born on March 1, 1953, at Fort George Meade in Maryland, the oldest child of Samuel and Elizabeth (Leaman) DeLong. As an Air Force brat, she and her family moved many times in her younger years, living in California, England, and Germany. Upon her father’s retirement, the family settled in Ohio, where Barb graduated from Bellefontaine High School.
Barb later moved to Minnesota and on May 16, 1987 married Philip Dressel, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Osseo, Minnesota. Barb proudly worked for over 40 years for the State of Minnesota, having retired in 2019 after serving as a receptionist for the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice. After her retirement, Barb and Phil moved to Madison, Wisconsin.
Barb enjoyed travel, writing, crafting, reading, and researching her family history. She volunteered both at church and in her community, knitting prayer shawls, assisting with religious education, raising funds for UNICEF, and donating blood for the Red Cross. She cared deeply about animals and was an avid lover of dogs, especially Burnsie and Nibs, her most recent shelter dog.
Barb was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Robert DeLong. She is survived by her husband Phil; her son, Cliffton Ghuran; nephew Colin DeLong; sisters-in-law Cathy Dressel and Mary Dressel; and brother-in-law Tom Dressel.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at Holy Cross Catholic Parish - St. Bernard Catholic Church, 2015 Parmenter St., Middleton, WI, with Father Michael Wanta officiating. The Rosary will be prayed at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, at the church with visitation to follow until the time of the Mass. Burial will follow at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery.
The family would like to thank the nurses and respiratory technicians at the UW Hospital and Select Specialty Hospital in Madison and the North Ridge Health and Rehabilitation Center in Manitowoc for the compassionate care and support they provided to Barb and her family. Memorials may be made to the Dane County Humane Society.
To view her obituary or leave a memory, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com.
Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services
Legacy Center
6728 Mader Drive
608-274-1000
Events
Rosary
Tue Jun 24, 2025 @ 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM CDT
St. Bernard Catholic Church • 2015 Parmenter St, Middleton, WI 53562
Visitation
Tue Jun 24, 2025 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CDT
St. Bernard Catholic Church • 2015 Parmenter St, Middleton, WI 53562
Mass of Christian Burial
Tue Jun 24, 2025 @ 11:00 AM CDT
St. Bernard Catholic Church • 2015 Parmenter St, Middleton, WI 53562
Photos
Memories
PL
Patricia Lakhan
Friend •
Barb and I met in September 1971 when attending the McConnel Airline School. We both had "big plans" on going places. Instead, we ended up working together at Northwestern National Bank (Now Wells Fargo). We became roommates and enjoyed learning different aspects of Minneapolis while making future plans. We lost touch when I moved out of Minneapolis and eventually married. We reconnected after my husband and daughter moved to Eagan and through a mutual friend. We then started our monthly/bimonthly luncheon dates. Barb always would have stories that took us back to our early dorm days. We always enjoyed the luncheon dates and one of us always made sure Barb had transportation to and from the luncheon so she could join us. After Barb and Phil moved to Wisconsin, we kept in touch so plan some luncheon dates if Barb would be in the Twin Cities area. She has been truly missed, her stories were always a highpoint. Barb was first a classmate, a roommate, a co-worker, but most important a Friend. She will be truly missed.