William Howard “Bill” Steussy, Commander, U.S. Navy, passed away peacefully at his home in New Braunfels, Texas on June 12, 2024 after a courageous battle with the unstoppable force of time, made comfortable by the services of Hope Hospice of New Braunfels.
Bill was born June 10, 1948, in Austin, Texas, to James G. and Dorothy L. (Swenson) Steussy. He lived his youngest years in Austin, Waco, and New Braunfels, Texas, graduating from New Braunfels High School in 1966. He played a variety of high school sports, excelling in tennis and swimming.
In the summer of 1966, he was awarded an appointment to the U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis MD, and four years later graduated as a member of the Class of 1970. In his distinguished 22-year Navy career he served in both Atlantic and Pacific Fleet warships, including destroyers USS Henry W. Tucker (DD-875) and USS Gurke (DD-783), amphibious transport USS Thomaston (LSD-28), and aircraft carrier USS Lexington (AVT-16).
Bill’s Navy assignments ashore included Surface Warfare Officer School, Newport RI, Navy Command Center in the Pentagon, the Joint US Military Advisory Group, Bangkok Thailand, Joint Cruise Missile Project Office, Arlington VA and Navy Board of Inspection and Survey, Washington DC.
Bill retired from active duty in 1992 and entered the public sector, finding a career as hospital facility manager in Oregon and Texas. He retired from his last assignment at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, in 2013.
Bill's many loves included his family, the U.S. Navy, Central Texas, golf, baseball, fishing, hunting, dogs, good Texas music, boiled Gulf shrimp, and woodworking. He was quick with an amusing anecdote or piece of engineering wisdom. In both the Navy and in private industry, he was happiest when he rolled up his sleeves with his team and helped them figure out complex engineering challenges. He believed Texas was the only State in our union. He would spend hours on back country roads with his family and best friends, searching for new barbeque joints in the quest for the best Texas smoked meats. In his last months and years, nothing pleased him more than sitting out on his back porch overlooking the Guadalupe River with Janie and swapping stories with those closest to him.
Bill is survived by his beloved wife Jane (Moeller, Schlichting) Steussy, brothers James Michael and Daniel Kenneth Steussy, and sons Mathew Kyle and Scott Thomas Steussy. Bill is also survived by the mother of his sons, Sharon Lynne Olsen, and by Jane’s son Helmuth Carl Schlichting III and daughter Lennea Marie (Schlichting) Schifano. Bill was preceded in death by his second wife, Annita Anne (Dyer, Wall) Steussy, mother of daughters Erin Kathleen and Kristin Marie Wall.
An Interment is planned at the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego CA on a date to be determined. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers and in recognition of their tremendous service to those in need, contributions be made in Bill’s name to Hope Hospice, New Braunfels, Texas.
Updated:26 June 2024
Curator: Ed Moore