Father Joseph F. Ganssle, OFM, 76, a professed Franciscan friar for 55 years, a priest for almost 50 years, died March 31 at St. Anthony Hospital, St. Petersburg, Fla. He had been suffering from leukemia.

Born in Brooklyn, he attended Good Shepherd School, Marine Park, before entering St. Joseph Seraphic Seminary, Callicoon, N.Y. He took the religious name of Brother Louis Augustine.

He was ordained to the priesthood April 25, 1958, by Archbishop Amleto Cicognani at Mount St. Sepulchre, Washington, D.C.

In addition to serving in the missions in Brazil, he ministered in the U.S. as a high school teacher, hospital chaplain, assistant Army chaplain, and he was the founder and president of Narc-Anon, Inc., a drug rehabilitation group.

He is survived by three sisters, Geraldine Ryan, of Rio Rancho, N.M.; Cecilia Friend, of Clinton, N.Y.; and Margaret Slattery, of Sarasota, Fla. Burial was in Butler, N.J.

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