Gerrit “Gary” Steenhagen III passed away on August 7, 2023 at his home in Porter Ranch, CA, at the age of 78. He was a long term resident of San Diego, where he raised his family. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Ola Steenhagen, his two children, Gerrit Steenhagen IV and Morgen Steenhagen Johansen, and his three grandchildren, Decoro, Pim, and Alice.
Gary was born in Waukegan, Michigan but at 14 his family moved to Los Angeles, CA when his father was hired by JPL in their engineering department. Gary inherited his love of music from his father, and his love of gardening from when he mowed lawns for his neighbors to earn pocket money. He graduated from Crescenta Valley High School in Glendale, CA and joined the Navy at the start of the Vietnam War.
He met his wife when he was stationed in the Seattle, Washington area and later transferred to San Diego, CA where he spent the next 14 years in the active duty Navy, serving as a Data Systems Technician. Gary remained in the Navy Reserve, retiring as a Senior Chief with many awards for his excellent service including the Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Award and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
During that same period, Gary worked at Cubic Corporation in San Diego as a software engineer. While working full-time, he also earned his Bachelor’s degree in computer science from National University. He traveled extensively going to Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines as well as Georgia and Boston in the US. He was instrumental in developing an advanced defense system called ATACO which was at the leading edge of military preparedness at that time.
After retirement, Gary and his wife Ola enjoyed numerous road trips to Kansas and Texas, and vacations to Hawai’i. They moved to the San Fernando Valley to be near their grandchildren. Gary kept up his lifelong passion for gardening and visiting their vacation home in Palm Springs, CA. They also spent time enjoying the beach at Pt. Mugu in their small RV.
Gary lived a full life. He kept his commitment to his family and his country faithfully. He always did his best to provide support and love to his wife, children, and grandchildren. He will be missed.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sorrentovalleychapel.com for the Steenhagen family.
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