James Franklin Steen

James Franklin Steen, 75, of Eldon, Missouri, passed away Thursday, December 22, 2016. He was born March 28, 1941, in Iberia, Missouri, to the late Waldo and Eula (Popplewell) Steen. Jim enlisted in the United States Navy on his 17th birthday in 1958. His 21 years of service included assignments in California, Illinois, Washington, Japan, and the Philippines. During the Vietnam Conflict, he served a total of four years on the USS Midway and the USS Enterprise. After his retirement from the Navy in 1979, Jim worked for the Missouri Department of Corrections and retired in 2003. Jim was a kind and devoted husband and father. He was married to Bella Besario on May 15, 1976, in Olongapo City, Philippines, and was the father of three children from a previous marriage. He had a strong love and respect for his and Bella's large, extended families, and would do anything for them. Jim had a fondness for cars old and new. He was a walking encyclopedia of makes, models, years, and options for any car or truck. He was a self-taught mechanic and was the family 'go-to guy' for anything related to car maintenance. He also had an innate ability to repair anything, be it a car, lawn mower, or vacuum cleaner. That ability and love, however, did not extend to computers. 'They were too dang complicated, and took the fun out of fixing things.' Family and friends will remember Jim for his sense of humor and his appreciation of a good anecdote. He also relished a good joke and took great pleasure in retelling it with various degrees of embellishment. He was an endearing and charismatic person who people enjoyed being around. Survivors include his beloved wife, Bella, of the home; son, Jimmy Steen (Kathy) of Spring Valley, Calif.; daughter, Sheri McNamara (Michael) of San Bernardino, Calif.; son, Terry Steen of Quinton, Va.; five grandchildren, Taylor Steen, Jessica Steen, Kimberly Steen, Christopher McNamara, Brandon McNamara; sisters, Carol Elseman (Louis) of Eldon, Mo., Alice Tyler (Bob) of College Park, Md., Marylin Whitaker (Rex) of Iberia, Mo., Eula Maye Bond (Wyeth) of Lexington, S.C.; sister-in-law, Alice Steen of Weatherford, Texas. In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by four siblings: Roger Steen, Geraldine Atwell, Janet Steen, Waldo Sherril Steen. The family will receive friends on Thursday, December 29, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Phillips Funeral Home, Five South Oak, Eldon, Mo. Funeral services will be held at the funeral home on Friday, December 30, at 11 a.m., with the Reverend Archie Atwell officiating. Interment, with full military honors, will follow at Hickory Point Cemetery in Iberia, Missouri. Memorials in his name are suggested to the American Heart Association.