John Warren Stormer

John Warren Stormer, age 45, passed away on February 18, 2017, in Elkins, West Virginia. He was born on August 10, 1971, in Washington, D. C., to his parents, Gary and Kathy Stormer, of Powell Butte, Oregon.

John graduated from Centennial High School in 1989. An avid learner, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration in 2009 from Columbia College, a Masters of Arts in Military History from American Military University in 2015, and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 2017.

John enlisted in the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in 1989 at age eighteen. Over the next twenty-two years he served as a Communications Specialist at duty stations such as Astoria, OR., Petaluma CA., Juneau, AK., and Honolulu, HI. John served on various USCG cutters and ice breakers. In the performance of his duties he traveled to Antarctica (South Pole), the North Pole, Indonesia, Australia, Central America (drug interdiction), Japan, and Russia. His last duty station was at Ft. Meade, Maryland, where he was attached to the National Security Agency. He retired in 2009, having achieved the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9), as the highest ranking non-commissioned officer in the USCG. He was awarded numerous medals and commendations during his service.

John enjoyed outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing and hunting. He was also an avid reader, and especially enjoyed books about military history during the Civil War.

In addition to his parents, he is survived by his brother, Ryan, and sister-in-law Vanessa, and nieces Ellie and Alyssa of Covington, Washington. He is survived by his daughter, Sean, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is also survived by his fiancée, Amber Gump, of Elkins, West Virginia. Other survivors include his loving aunts, Alice Hager, and Rubie Johnson, and his uncle and kindred spirit, Garry Amend, as well as numerous cousins (Mona, Jack, Jennifer, Mike and Lynnea), and second-cousins that mourn his passing.