John David Stobbe, Sr. of Springfield, passed away on February 14 th , 2021 after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

John was born on August 25th, 1941 to John Otto and Mary Stobbe in St. Louis. After graduating from Kirkwood High School in 1959 he went on to study at Southeast Missouri State University. Then patriotic duty called, and John enlisted in the Air Force, where his eyesight prevented him from flying anything but a desk. Like everything else he did, he took on the challenges of the Air Force head on and obtained the rank of Captain while also earning an MBA from Arizona State University. After his last Duty Station as a ROTC instructor and professor of Aerospace Technology at Coe College he and his family returned to the St. Louis area.

After the Air Force John went to work for Artronix in Chesterfield. That company went bankrupt and he was tasked with closing the business and preparing for liquidation. During this period, he chanced to meet the owner of the new business moving into the facility, Marc Andrews of Mark Andy Inc. As it was later described John just came with the building when Marc Andy moved into it. He took a job with the new company and worked there until he retired.

Husband, Father, Grandparent, Uncle, friend, teacher, airman, provider, and protector are all words that could be used to describe John. Even taken as a whole, they would fail describe the man, we all knew and loved.

He was born in St. Louis as the oldest of four siblings. He lived with his parents John and Mary in the State Street area of south St. Louis city. Eventually moving to the suburb of Kirkwood and into a small white house on the corner of Janet Pl. and Ballas Rd. There they all lived as a multi-generational family, at various times with chickens in the attic and turkeys in the backyard. John O. and Mary lived in that house until his John O.'s passing in 2001.

It was at the Janet Pl. home that he learned all the things that would make him such a handy man in the future. From digging their own basement, running electric to the attic and new basement, to car repair; it was something all the Stobbe men took part in and learned from their father John O.

John D. attended Kirkwood high where he would meet several people who he was close with until the very end. Also meeting there one special girl, Elaine Royer, whom he would eventually marry. He worked at the Green Parrot Inn restaurant where he met one of his closest friends Paul Pellegrin. They later worked together at Scharff's service station. Together with James Johannes they all became emersed in the car culture that was expanding across the country in the fifties and sixties. A passion they all shared until the end.

John's service in the Air Force took him to several duty stations. It was at the air base in Blytheville, AR that John and Elaine's son John David Jr. was born in December of 1968. It was 10 and a half years later after retiring from the Air Force and returning to the St. Louis area that they welcomed their daughter Victoria (Tori) into the world in July of 1979.

Later in life John would mark time periods by the car he owned at the time. Some of which were to be envied, some were just modes of transportation and hauling but he had an affinity for them all. He was a self-described car nut. He used his retirement to continue this passion by going to numerous auctions, car shows, and car club events.

When both of his children moved to Springfield it was not too long before John and Elaine followed. Not sure if it was their children or the grandkids that were the prime motivation. He was an exceptional grandparent and doted on all the grand kids. Sharing uniquely, special things with each individual grandchild and trying to make as many sporting events and performances as possible.

Words fall short, as they often do, when trying capture the spirit of a man, his life and what he meant to all of us. The thing that would make John happiest would be for everybody to remember a good experience that you had together and smile. He was not one for pomp and circumstance or formalities, and the last thing he would want is for all of us to be making a fuss over him. So, take your memories and share them with others or keep them in your heart to cheer you, but the last thing he would want is for all of us to be sad. For all the unknown in what comes after and regardless of your beliefs it can be honestly said he is in a better place and are all better to have known him.

John was preceded in death by his Father John Otto, Mother Mary, Brother Gary, and nephew Tom. He is survived by his Wife Elaine, Sisters Linda and Mary Ann, Son David and his wife Elizabeth, Daughter Tori, and her husband Kregg, and 6 grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held March 12th at 1:30 in the Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home, located here in Springfield on 1947 E Seminole St. In lieu of flowers the family would ask that you make a donation in his name to the American Cancer Society or K9s for Camo charity https://k9sforcamo.org/donate/.