John Ellis Steinke – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army

Army Lieutenant Colonel John Ellis Steinke, 72, died Wednesday. Funeral will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Laughlin Service Chapel. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

Colonel Steinke was born in Los Angeles, California, the first of three children to Oscar and Lillian (Lindgren) Steinke. Colonel Steinke entered the service of our country in 1943. A graduate of the University of California-Berkley (B.S. Electrical Engineering) and the University of Michigan (M.S. Engineering), Colonel Steinke was married to the former Floye Lowrance Smith of Raleigh, North Carolina.

He honorably served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, with assignment to Alaska and the Army of Occupation-Japan in the Pacific Theater. Col. Steinke subsequently served as a member of the personnel staff of General of the Armies McArthur during the invasion of Korea at Inchon. During Vietnam, Colonel Steinke was Commander of Long Lines Battalion (North) and Plieku.

Other service assignments included the installation of Military communications throughout Alaska and Development of three generations of Night Vision Equipment. He was a Team Chief for the development of Electronics for the highly successful Voyager Space Probe. Additionally Colonel Steinke was the past Director of Communications for the Safeguard System prior to his retirement in 1974.

Preceded in death by his parents; brother, Warren; sister, Novenda; daughter, Lillian.

Colonel Steinke is survived by sons, Captain John B. Steinke of Michigan, Captain William W. Steinke of Missouri; four grandchildren; one great-grandchild.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts of America.

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