John Wesley Steffen, 81, of Montrose, Iowa died at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 2, 2014 at the Donnellson Care Center in Donnellson, IA. John was born on July 23, 1932, in Quincy, IL to Elmo and Lois (Barnes) Steffen. His family moved to Iowa during the Great Depression, and he spent the majority of his childhood in the Ft. Madison and West Point area. John graduated from St. Mary's High School in West Point in 1950. He attended Iowa State University in Ames, IA and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Finance. He attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, and he was awarded a Master's of Science in Engineering. John served in the United States Air Force and was a veteran of the Korean Conflict. John married Elenore (Ellie) Williams in Omaha Nebraska. They were the parents of two children, John Steffen, Jr. and Joanna Steffen. John held executive positions at IBM, Minneapolis Honeywell, ADC Corporation and Sierra Instruments. He and his family lived in Poughkeepsie, NY, Minnetonka, MN, Denver, CO and Monterey, CA. He retired in 1997 and returned to Iowa making his final home in Montrose, IA. Following his retirement and upon his return to Iowa, John helped care for his mother until her death. He enjoyed drinking an occasional glass of wine at "Smurf's" in Montrose. John was an avid gun enthusiast and participated in many tournaments throughout his life. He was the winner of the Grand National Trap Shooting Championship in 1975 and the California Senior Sporting Clays in 1995. He was a member of the National Rifleman's Association; the Skeet Shooter's Association, and the ATA. He also enjoyed prairie dog hunting during trips to the Southwestern United States. During his final years, John looked forward to spending his days working at "The Range" selling guns, ammunition, and visiting with fellow gun enthusiasts. John is survived by his former wife, Ellie Steffen, of Aurora, CO, his son, John Steffen, Jr. (Tammy) of Parker, CO, his daughter Joanna Steffen, of Aurora, CO, one brother, Rick (Sandy) Steffen of Ft. Madison, two sisters, Nora (Steve) Hill of Danville, IA and Melissa (Scott ) Hobbs of Revere, MO one granddaughter, Amy VonVehren, of Denver, CO and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, Nancy Steffen Osborne and one brother, Bernie (Evelyn) Steffen. John's friends are welcome to stop by Kinnick on the River, 19 Main Street, in Montrose on Saturday, February 8, 2014, from 2 – 4 p.m. to meet with John's family and drink a glass of wine in celebration of his life. Memorials may be made to the Montrose Gun Club.