Lt. Col. Steele served in command positions from platoon through battalion level. He served on staff positions through division level and was a qualified paratrooper and ranger. Steele served three tours of duty in Vietnam and was in combat with the First Air Cavalry Division, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 21st ARVN Division. His military awards include the Combat Infantry Badge, the Bronze Star for Valor (three awards), Commendation Award for Valor, Air Medal for Valor, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Legion of Merit, and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Upon his retirement from the Army in 1978, Steele operated the family business, Steele’s Sewing Center, until 1995. He was active in civic affairs during this period of time, serving the city of Leavenworth as mayor and commissioner for eight years. He also served as chairman of the Retail Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Planning Commission, and chairman of the Community and Development Advisory Board. He was one of the principals involved in establishing the Riverfront Community Center. He is a past president of the Leavenworth Rotary Club and was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by the club. He also contributed to the Leavenworth Public School Foundation and was chairman of the Nominating Committee for the Leavenworth High School Top 100 Athletes.
According to former Leavenworth High School Tennis Coach Jim Mathis, Steele was quite an athlete himself. Mathis said that as a student at Leavenworth High School, Steele played multiple sports, including football, basketball and track. He was even part of the 1948 football team that defeated Lawrence High School at Abeles Field, a feat that was not accomplished again for more than 50 years.
In his more than 50 years as a member of the Leavenworth community, Steele gave countless hours to multiple organizations, participated actively in the local government and made more friends than most people would ever hope to meet. Most importantly, however, Steele personified what it means to be a good man.
“Good people are just good people,” long-time friend and business neighbor Ron Booth said.
For years Booth, owner of the Corner Pharmacy in downtown Leavenworth, shared a wall with Steele, whose family owned Steele’s Sewing Center. Additionally, the two men were connected through the Leavenworth Rotary Club, of which Steele was a former president.
“He was a good business neighbor and a good fellow-Rotarian,” Booth said of Steele.
Steele was also a frequent customer at Booth’s business. For many years, Steele and a group of friends met at the pharmacy once per week for coffee. John Whicher, one of the group members, said his relationship with Steele went much deeper than a few cups of java.
“We were friends for about 30 years,” Whicher said.
During that time, Whicher and Steele played golf frequently, went to social gatherings and even took a number of joint family vacations together. However, Whicher said Steele’s life was far more than a series of social events.
“You couldn’t miss him,” Whicher said. “I can’t tell you all the committees he was on, but there were periods when he didn’t have nights off.”
After his retirement both from business and politics in 1995, Steele’s friends said he seemed as young as ever.
“He was an active participant in the Leavenworth tennis tournaments and an avid bicyclist,” Mathis said.
Steele was even planning a lengthy bike trip before he got sick two-and-a-half years ago.
“When he got sick, he was training to go on the Bike Across Kansas,” Whicher said.
Unfortunately, he was never able to make the trip.
Steele is predeceased by his parents, Merrill and Lorraine Steele. He is survived by his two sisters, Norma Steele Medill (LHS clas of 1951), Leavenworth, Kan., and Ann Macy, Las Vegas; his companion, Isolde Kaszer, Leavenworth; his three children, Merrill Steele III, Lawrence, Kan., Valerie Steele, Los Angeles, and Lisa McCann, Leavenworth; his grandson, Ryan Thompson, Leavenworth; his son-in-law, Mick McCann; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to one of Steele's favorite local charities: the LAWS Foundation, in care of the Davis Funeral Chapel, 531 Shawnee St., Leavenworth KS 66048. Per Steele's request, private family inurnment will be held at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
I LIVED across the street from the Steele's for around 5 years until 1976. At the time I had two young sons and my husband and stayed pretty busy with them. The Steeles were nice neighbors, quiet people. Their daughter lived with them too at the time.
ReplyDeleteAnne Robertson