Obituary of John Thornton Steele

John T. Steele, 72, passed away on June 6, 2023, from heart related issues. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but lived in Tennessee, New Mexico, and then Tucson for the past 44 years. He graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1975 with a degree in Biology, but found his calling during he and his wife's Peace Corps service from 1977-1979 in Samoa. Though assigned to be a science teacher, he was also the “Mr. Fix-it” man at the school. Upon moving to Tucson in 1979, he became an HVAC tech and worked the majority of his career at the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind as a Facilities Maintenance Tech before retiring in 2013.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Katharine Buchanan, and his father, Alpheus T. Steele. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Laura, his two sons Aaron and Lucas, and his sisters Margaret Swartout and Annora Rubio, as well as his nieces, Nora and Jessie Rubio.

Memorial Service will be held on Friday, June 16, 2023 1:00PM at Adair Funeral Homes-Avalon Chapel. 8090 N. Northern Avenue, Oro Valley AZ 85704