James Graven Stinebiser
Chief Petty Officer, USN (Retired)
LOWELL James Graven Stinebiser, a resident of Lowell for more than five decades, died on Tuesday, March 12, 2019 at Wingate at Belvidere. He was the husband of the late Barbara A. (Nestico) Stinebiser to whom he was married for 60 years, 32 of which he was her primary caregiver. He was born on September 28, 1926 in South Fork, PA and was the son of the late Graven James and the late Madalene (Dishart) Stinebiser. He resided in the Belvidere section of Lowell for 53 years.
Chief Stinebiser has a long and varied career in the U.S. Navy spanning 30 years. Serving as a sailor in the amphibious forces Pacific abroad landing craft tank 923 and landing ship tank LST109, during the final major engagements of WWII. He participated in removing the Japanese garrison from the island of Rota in 1945. Post war included duty aboard the battleship Wisconsin and destroyers Norris and in 1947 McCaffrey flagship of Rear Admiral Entwhistle, Commander in Chief Far East, who was the lead negotiator for the return of marines being held by the Chinese Communists in Tsing Tao, China in 1948.
From China station, he served as a cryptographer for the Chief of Naval Communications at the Pentagon. Communications personnel from this group provided staffing for the Presidential yacht, Sequoia, and Presidential retreat, Shangri-la (now Camp David) when used by the Secretary of the Navy and President Harry S. Truman.
During and after the Korean War, he served aboard the Destroyer Beale and on the staff of Commander Destroyer Squadron 28 and Commander Escort Destroyer Squadron 2 for a period of seven years. After the Korean War, he was an electronics instructor and completed advanced electronic school in Bainbridge, MD
During the Vietnam War, he served abroad the Ice Breaker Edisto as Chief Radioman and Chief Master at Arms. The Edisto’s function was resupplying Dew Line in the Arctic and McMurdo Station in Antarctica. His final duty station was an electronic instructor and administrator of the Naval Reserve Training Center in Lowell, MA. During his naval service he had served aboard the LCT923, USS LST109, USS Norris DD859, USS McCaffrey DD860, USS Wisconsin BB64, USS Beale DDE471 and the USS Edisto AGB2. Upon retirement from naval service he worked in production control and retired from Raytheon, West Andover, MA in June 1991.
Chief Stinebiser was a communicant of Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church, Lowell. He attended and graduated from Adams Township High School, Sidman, PA and received a business management degree from Newbury College.
He is survived by two daughters and a son, Madeline Minahan of Lowell, MA, Tina Barker and her husband, James of St. Peters, MO, and Michael G. and Sarah (Godfrey) Stinebiser of Duxbury, MA. He was also the brother of Senior Chief Petty Officer, Ronald Stinebiser, USN (Retired) of San Marcos, CA. Also survived are his grandchildren, Kathleen, John and James Minahan of Lowell, MA, Rex, Barbara Rhoades and her husband, Hayden, and Matthew Barker all of St. Louis, MO, and Chloe, Eli, and Benjamin Stinebiser of Duxbury, MA. He was also the father-in-law of the late John J. Minahan, US Army Vietnam Veteran.
Chief Stinebiser was a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 25, Lowell, MA and Knights of Columbus Council 4336, Tewksbury, MA.
YOU ARE INVITED TO HIS CALLING HOURS FROM 5 UNTIL 8 P.M. ON FRIDAY, MARCH 15.
ON SATURDAY, HIS FUNERAL WILL BEGIN AT 11 A.M. AT THE MCDONOUGH FUNERAL HOME, 14 HIGHLAND STREET, LOWELL, MA 978-458-6816.
HIS FUNERAL MASS WILL BE OFFERED SATURDAY AT IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH, 144 EAST MERRIMACK STREET, LOWELL AT 12 NOON. BURIAL WILL FOLLOW AT ST. MARY CEMETERY IN TEWKSBURY.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, DONATIONS IN HIS NAME MAY BE MADE TO: JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION, 26 BROADWAY, 14TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY.
