James R. Steltenpohl

James Robert Steltenpohl, 83, of Hamilton, Massachusetts passed away on August 1, 2025 after battling Alzheimer's Disease for over 5 years. He will be remembered for his dedication to his family, love of the outdoors and adventurous travel, interest in all things mechanical, and his sense of humor that was always accompanied by a playful smirk.

He was born November 4, 1941, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, was the son of the late Robert and Virginia Steltenpohl. Jim is survived by his loving wife of 61 years Theodora Jeanette Steltenpohl (Teddi) of Hamilton; his sons, Robert (Christina) Steltenpohl, and Kurt (Laura) Steltenpohl, and his daughter Tracy (Christopher) Mozingo, his four grandchildren, Jackson, Cooper, Josie and Cory, and his sisters Jaclyn Welch and Janet (Ron) Landers, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Jim was predeceased by his parents, sister Jeanne Lange, and youngest brother Jerry who died at three years of age.

Jim, the oldest of five, grew up in upstate New York in the town of Vernon. After brief studies at the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture in Brooklyn, New York, Jim enrolled at Syracuse University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering in 1963. He met his wife Teddi riding the bus to and from school, and following their graduation, he began work with General Electric (GE) in Lynn, Massachusetts. They married on August 8,1964 and moved to the North Shore of Boston where they both worked, raised their family, and resided for 61 years. Jim worked his entire career at GE, earning a Master's degree from Northeastern University in night school along the way, and took great pride in serving on the jet engine design team for the next generation US Navy fighter jet of its time, the F/A-18 Hornet, which today still flies in the squadrons of the US Navy and allied militaries around the globe.

Outside of work, Jim was an avid outdoorsman who immersed himself in nature. Frequently, he took the family hiking and camping among the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He climbed Mount Washington multiple times including his last at the age of 72. He particularly loved the beauty of Stillwater Reservoir in the Adirondacks of New York where the family camped on a remote island. Starting in 1993, Jim and Teddi regularly escaped to their Province Lake, New Hampshire cottage where they enjoyed views of Province Mountain, as well as biking, canoeing, and sailing with grandchildren, family and friends. In retirement, he had fun mountain biking on the woodland trails of Hamilton with his friends. Jim also enjoyed both leisure and work travel, which took him across much of Europe, and faraway places like Alaska, Hawaii, Bangalore, Singapore, Riyadh, and Morocco. Jim was curious about the world and grounded by his religious faith and the connection he felt in nature.

Jim's funeral will be at Christ Church in Hamilton, Massachusetts on Saturday, August 23rd at 1:30pm, followed by a reception in the Parish Hall, non-traditional funeral attire encouraged. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Acord Food Pantry of Hamilton (acordfoodpantry.org) where Jim volunteered for many years.