John Joseph Stepulis, Lt. Col., Ret., of Honolulu, Hawaii passed away on November 20, 2021. He was 82. He was born on March 27, 1939 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to parents William and Della (nee Didgeon) Stepulis. John grew up in Exeter, Pennsylvania. After high school, he moved to Jersey City, graduating from the Jersey City Hospital Nursing program and earned his RN degree. He joined the U.S. Army in October 1967 and served in the Army Nursing Corps in Vietnam. He met his wife, Ruth H. Smalley in 1970; they married in 1973. John graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in 1977 with an MSN. He and Ruth moved to Hawaii in 1977 and served at Tripler Army Medical Center until their retirement from active duty in 1980. Later, John joined the faculty of Hawaii Loa College and retired as the assistant Dean of Nursing. He was a member of Central Union Church, Sigma Theta Tau, Retired Army Nurse Corps, and was active with a number of other local charitable organizations. He is survived by his wife, Ruth, of 47 years, his brother, Vincent Stepulis, nieces Dianne Ostrom, Donna Rinwalske, and Georgana Wilizeski, a nephew, Richard Vasil, and several grandnieces and grandnephews. His sister, Helen M. Vasil, predeceased him.
Donations may be made to the Hawaii Community Foundation in honor of the John and Ruth Stepulis and Alice Smalley Scholarship Fund at HCF Hawaii or to Central Union Church.
A memorial service at Central Union Church will be held on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at 4:00 pm.
Arrangements Provided By: Oahu Mortuary
