ROBERT EARL (BOB) STEED, USMC RETIRED

Robert Earl Steed, 95, of Waynesboro, Virginia, passed away quietly at home on the morning of Thursday, January 20, 2022.

He was born December 2, 1926, in High Point, NC, the son of the late Earl Belvin Steed and Flora Cecelia (Steffy) Steed.

Bob entered the University of North Carolina in the WWII Navy V-12 College Training Program.  He transferred to Penn State University and upon graduation in 1947 with a BA in mathematics, was commissioned a 2d Lt. in the United States Marine Corps.  He later earned graduate degrees in Education from Stanford University and Johns Hopkins University.

After a tour in China from 1948 to 1949, he completed instruction in Underwater Demolition and Bomb Disposal in 1950 in Indian Head, MD, where he met his wife Mary Ann.  Bob organized the first Marine Corps Explosive Ordinance Disposal School at Camp Pendleton, CA.

The Korean War found the Marine Corps short of pilots, so Bob was sent to the Naval Air Training Command in Pensacola, FL, where he earned his wings in 1952.  He then trained at El Toro Marine Air Base in CA before leaving for Korea in 1952.  He was a decorated Korean War aviator, earning the Air Medal with 6 stars and the Distinguished Flying Cross as a member of Marine Attack Squadron VMA-121.

Upon his return to the United States, Bob was assigned as an instructor at the Training Command in Pensacola where he taught for 3 years.  Before leaving Pensacola he trained as a helicopter pilot.

In 1957 he was transferred to Marine Air Group 26 at New River, NC, which included several temporary overseas assignments including an assignment in the Mediterranean with a Joint Services Command during the Lebanese Crisis.  In 1960 he served a 13-month tour of duty in Japan.  From 1962 to 1964, he served again with MAG-26, New River, with a number of temporary assignments overseas, including "Operation Delawar," a joint services operation in the Persian Gulf.

In 1964 he was assigned to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD as an instructor in the Naval Science Department.  Bob retired from the Marine Corps in 1967 having attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  He later returned to the Naval Academy as a civilian and taught for another 20 years.  He was a member of the Academic Advisory Committee and worked with the Academic Dean on Curriculum Review.

Bob and Mary Ann moved to Waynesboro in 1989, where they were members of St. John's Catholic Church.  In 1993 they opened Valley Games and Hobbies, a popular gathering spot for young gamers, on Main Street in downtown Waynesboro.  Bob was an avid reader.  He also enjoyed furniture restoration, working on "old house" projects and growing tomatoes.  In his younger years, he was a hurdler on the track teams at Penn State and Marine Corps Schools, Quantico.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Mary Ann (Reese) Steed, one infant brother, John Edwin Steed, three sisters, Shirlee Rothrock, Patricia Lugani, and Anne Bulla, and granddaughter Emily (Russell) Murray.

Surviving are 3 daughters, Nancy Mills and husband Rick, of Woodbine, MD; Deborah Russell and husband Jim of Bradley Beach, NJ; and Cynthia Steed of Waynesboro; 2 sons, Lt. Col. Robert E Steed, USAF retired and wife Chris of Fremont, NE; and John E.B. Steed and wife Samantha, of Waynesboro.  He was the loving grandfather of 14, great-grandfather of 19, and uncle to numerous nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 25 at St. John Catholic Church, 301 Sheppard Court, Waynesboro, VA.

A mass of Christian Burial will be said at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 26 at St. John Catholic Church by Fr. Rolo Castillo.  Interment with Military Honors will follow in Riverview Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Little Sisters of the Poor, c/o St. Martin's Home, 601 Maiden Choice Lane, Catonsville, MD  21228, or St. John's Catholic Church Building Fund, 301 Sheppard Court, Waynesboro, VA 22980.