John Joseph Steimel

Mr. John Joseph Steimel, age 42, of Columbia, Mo., passed away on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at the University of Missouri Hospital. John was born on August 28, 1978 in St. Louis, Mo., the son of Donald H. and Ethel F. (Anchell) Steimel. A lifelong resident of the central Missouri area, John grew up in Maryland Heights, Mo., until his father transferred to Von Hoffmann in Jefferson City, Mo. John was a 1996 graduate of Kirchner State School in Jefferson City. For the last 12 years, John lived at Woodhaven in Columbia, Mo. John participated in the Jefferson City Special Olympics where he enjoyed bowling. John always looked forward to the once a month Friday Night Recreational Dances. John was an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, MU Tigers, and Kansas City Chiefs. He was a supporter of Jays basketball, and was even honored as their #1 fan for his faithful attendance. He enjoyed watching the Food Network and various game shows such as The Price is Right, Press Your Luck and most recently, Family Feud. John found peace in listening to poetry and being outdoors. He would often open his poetry book to random pages to have his friend, Jeff, read to him. As a boy, most Saturdays, John, his sister and Dad would go to McDonald's for a breakfast sandwich and juice, and head to Runge Nature Center. There, they walked the trails until they found a bench to enjoy their breakfast and watch as deer would stroll by. He also had a love for going fishing and swimming. John enjoyed staying busy and going on car rides and especially loved seeing cows, to which he would always point and exclaim, "dirty!" Some of his favorite places to go were to any restaurant to eat with his family, MU games, Camp Wonderland, parties hosted by Woodhaven and book stores. He really liked to go anywhere they handed out free pamphlets, they were great for filling his pockets. John was truly one of a kind, and he brought happiness and laughter to everyone around him. Some of their favorite memories were when John showed up to school, proudly showing off a large amount of cash in his wallet that he had confiscated from his mom, him always attempting to "fix" things, and his pockets full of treasures. John was a gift to all who knew and loved him. Survivors include: three siblings, Phillip Steimel of St. Charles, Mo., Sharon Crocker (husband Chris) of St. Martins, Mo., and Susan Dickson (husband Vernon) of Jefferson City, Mo.; two nieces, Jessica Crocker and Ashley Steimel; one nephew, Cory Crocker (wife Blaine); his beloved great-nieces, Rylee and Brenna Bock; and great-nephew, Weston Crocker. John was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents. Visitation will be held at Freeman Mortuary from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., Monday, November 23, 2020. The family is requesting that those in attendance wear their favorite MU, Cardinals or KC Chiefs attire in honor of John. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to wear personal masks or other personal protective equipment while in attendance. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Woodhaven in Columbia, Mo., 1405 Hathman Place, Columbia, MO 65201. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Freeman Mortuary. www.freemanmortuary.com