Stephen Don Lokken

Stephen Don Lokken (“Steve”) was born March 6, 1945 to Clarence Gilman Lokken and Betty Alice Lokken, née Muchmore, in Artesia, California. He grew up in various cities of Southern California with his younger brother, Scott, and attended Duarte High School. He earned a B.A. from California State University at Long Beach, California in 1967. After completing Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1965, he spent six years in the Army and served in the Vietnam War in 1969-1970. He married his wife, Karen, on June 12, 1971 and the two of them moved to metro Detroit, Michigan in 1971 where he began a long and fulfilling career as a postal inspector with the U.S. Postal Service. He earned an M.A. in criminal justice in 1979 from the University of Detroit. Over the course of his career, he served in the Internal Crime and Fraud divisions, the Organized Crime Taskforce, as Firearms Instructor and Coordinator, and on the Hostage Rescue Team. Steve was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, volunteering countless hours in the Family History Center and at the church Temple. Researching his own family genealogy was a deep passion of his, and his daughters can recount amusing tales of stopping to wander around cemeteries during family vacation road trips. He frequently attended Roots Tech, a genealogy convention, in Salt Lake City, Utah to continuously hone his genealogy research skills and share tips with other genealogy experts.

Steve shared his mother’s musical inclinations, and in his youth learned to play the accordion, piano, guitar and drums. He sang in his church choir for many years, long into his adult life. He had an easy-going personality and stayed active after retirement playing volleyball at the community center and being “Papa” to his grandchildren. He loved jumping in the waves every summer during the ever-expanding family vacations at Ocean Isle Beach.

Steve is survived by his wife, his four daughters (Shaney, Katrina, Allison, and Samantha), their respective husbands (Chris, David, Bryan, and Tom), and his 6 grandchildren (Alex, Isabella, Hunter, Liliana, Logan, and Landon). He was well loved and will be remembered by his family, his work colleagues, and members of his church community. In lieu of flowers or meals, the family asks that donations be made to the American Cancer Society in memory of Stephen D. Lokken. May he rest in peace with endless cinnamon bears (as well as Good & Plenty and Twizzlers pull ‘n’ peel candies), silkies, and good conversations.