John Ellis Stein

John Ellis Stein, 91, of Denver. Loving husband of Dorothy for 63 years. Father of Sheryll (Tom) Allison, Diane Stein, Dennis (Nancy ) Stein & Joe (Annie) Stein. Grandfather of Zach, Jasmine, Jessica, Jennifer, Melanie, Jacob & Colin. Great-Grandfather of Nathan & Natalie. Survived by siblings: Mary Mae, Myrtle, Arnold & Bertie. Preceded in death by his other siblings: George, Peter, Elizabeth, Albert, Ann, Herman & Marjorie. John retired from Ladd Petroleum after a successful career as a petroleum engineer. Visitation Thursday 5pm-7pm, followed by Rosary at 7pm, both at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 1091 S. Colorado Blvd. Funeral Mass Friday 10am., Risen Christ Catholic Church, 3060 S. Monaco Pkwy. Interment, Monday, 10:30am. Shelter ""B,"" Fort Logan National Cemetery. John Stein was the son of Jacob and Carrie Stein, born April 18th, 1922 in Rosati, Missouri on the family farm. He was the oldest brother of eight and as a boy learned to trap, hunt, and fish in order to help his family get through the difficult years of the Great Depression. In addition to farming, John helped his dad Jacob build numerous barns, silos, and other structures to supplement their family income. His early life experience of living off the land, hard work, and being self-sufficient fostered a lifelong love of the outdoors and a profound ability to overcome obstacles in his life. He enlisted in the Navy at the start of WWII, and served as an ordinance expert in the Navy Air Force, stationed in the Aleutian Islands. After his honorable discharge in 1945, he enrolled at the Missouri School of Mines where he graduated with a degree in Petroleum Engineering. Shortly after that he met the love of his life, Dorothy, and they were married in 1951. In the early years of their marriage, they moved frequently throughout the west as John advanced in his career as a Petroleum Engineer with the British American Oil Company. Their first child, Sherry, was born In Tulsa in 1952, and their second daughter, Diane, was born in Lander, Wyoming in 1954. Soon after that they moved to Denver, where their son Dennis was born in 1955 and their son Joe was born in 1956. John continued to advance in his career, and his young family was on the move again, this time to Dallas. It was in Dallas that John worked closely with the Pastor of St. Pius X church to organize a successful effort to raise money to build a grade school that all four of his kids attended when it opened. That school is still operating successfully to this day. During this time John and Dorothy built a beautiful home in Dallas thinking they would be there for a long while, however, John was offered a promising position in 1964 as the manager of the Citronelle Unit and the family moved to Mobile, Alabama. John and his family enjoyed Mobile and took advantage of the many fun things the region offered including Gulf Shores, Mardis Gras, and Civil War history, to name a few. In 1968 he moved the family to Houston, and then a year later back to Dallas to the same home they had lived in before. In 1972, John accepted a position with Ladd Petroleum and the family moved to Denver. After several successful years, John was promoted to a Regional Vice President position and moved once again to Tulsa in 1976. John was promoted once again in 1978, and moved back to Denver where he finished his successful career in the Oil and Gas Industry as the Vice President of Operations for Ladd Petroleum in the Rocky Mountain region. Throughout this time he worked many hours and weekends, but he also made sure to spend time with his family on numerous vacations, camping trips, fishing trips, weekends at the beach, and trips to visit our grandparents, our aunts and uncles, and our cousins. By this time all of their kids had moved out of the house to start families and careers of their own and John and Dorothy decided to retire in 1987. John immediately went to work on a promise he had made to Dorothy years before that they would travel extensively in their retirement, and that's exactly what they did. They enjoyed numerous cruises and visited every continent with the exception of Antarctica. These trips resulted in many great stories, photographs, and souvenirs that delighted the family, in particular their grandkids. John enjoyed his retirement immensely. Besides traveling, he enjoyed fishing, reading, gardening, shooting, and playing cards, but most of all he enjoyed his grandchildren. He made frequent trips to visit his grandchildren out of town, and went to as many of their sporting events and school functions as he could. I pity the referee or umpire that made a 'bad call' against one of his grandkids! He was a tremendous positive influence on all of his grandchildren, and they all loved him dearly. In all, John and Dorothy have 4 children, 7 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren as a result of their 63 years of marriage. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who could always be counted on for good advice and encouragement in a tough situation, and he had a great perspective on what is important in life. In his office, the pictures that his grandchildren drew for him are displayed more prominently than the awards he received as an accomplished professional. His friends are all friends for life. His impact and legacy are profound in the lives of his family and friends. We will all miss him dearly, and we will never forget him and what he meant to us. The family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Denver Hospice. Donations can be sent to: The Denver Hospice, 501 S. Cherry St., Suite 700, Denver, CO 80246-1238, or, you can donate online at their website, www.thedenverhospice.org.