John James Saathoff
John James Saathoff, a Vietnam veteran retired from the US Marine Corps after 27 years of service, and longtime resident of Dandridge, TN, passed away on February 28th, 2024 surrounded by his loving family.
Stony, as he was known to all who knew him, was born in Passaic, NJ on September 23rd, 1945, to Jack and Adelaide (McAlpine) Saathoff. The family eventually settled in Coshocton, OH where he attended Coshocton High School and was a member of the school football and wrestling teams before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1965.
During basic training at Parris Island, Stony was bestowed the title of Honor Graduate of his class, awarding him with the Dress Blues Award, very prestigious amongst young recruits. Cpl. Saathoff was then sent to fight in Vietnam, where he served two consecutive tours seeing action in places such as Phu Bai, The Rockpile, Khe Sahn, Cam Lo, Gia Lin, Camp JJ Carroll Firebase, Razorback, Ashau Valley, Lang Ve, and Hue City.
During his wartime service he was wounded twice earning two Purple Hearts, as well as a Bronze Star for combat with valor, two Presidential Unit Citations, the Combat Action Medal, and The Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm. Other USMC medals include two Sea Service Deployment ribbons, three Meritorious Unit Commendations, the Meritorious Mast, and the Navy Commendation Medal.
GySgt. Stony Saathoff had a long and distinguished career with the Marine Corps, serving with distinction at numerous duty stations: 2 stints at Camp Lejeune, NC; Little Creek, VA; 8th & I Marine Barracks, Washington D.C.; Camp Pendleton, Ca; Mountain Warfare Training Center, 29 Palms, CA; and Company Gunny Tank Battalion, Machine Gun Training, 29 Palms, CA.
After military service, Stony continued to exercise his hard earned skill set by working as an SAR/Firearms/EVOC Instructor at San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, specializing in Desert SAR and Swift Water Rescue. He was also extremely proud of his work as an independent contractor for Diamondback Tactical and Blackwater Security Consulting, for whom he deployed on numerous missions throughout Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Throughout his life, Stony Saathoff loved sports of all kinds. He was an avid racquetball player with one hell of a backhand, played in various rugby leagues, including the USMC team, and held black belts in both Judo and Jujitsu. In his later years, he enjoyed playing pickleball and boating on Douglas Lake.
Stony was a devout Christian and a member of Hills Union Church in Dandridge, TN.
Stony was preceded in death by his parents.
He’s survived by his longtime partner Mary Adams, sons John G. Saathoff and Matthew Saathoff, his daughter Katrina (Saathoff) Haughton, four grandchildren (William, Forest, Mary Jane, and Hunter), as well as his loving sister Cathy (Saathoff) Lech, and her children Danielle Gwynne, Christa Beam, and Ryan Rhodes.
A special acknowledgement should be given to Cathy Lech, Christa Beam, and Mary Adams who devoted so much of their love, time, and attention to his care as he struggled with and ultimately succumbed to his two year battle with cancer.
Stony was a larger than life character who joked readily, smiled easily, cared deeply for the Marines and other people he served with, and who viciously defended the ideals of this nation. He loved his family, loved being a Marine, loved his country, and loved his God, who finally saw fit to welcome him home. Semper Fi, Marine!!
Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Given-Dawson-Paisley Funeral Home, 186 Park Ave., Coshocton, Ohio. A graveside service with full Military Honors will be held on Wednesday at 12:30 pm at Coshocton County Memory Gardens. A second memorial service will be held at Hills Union Church in Dandridge, TN at a time to be announced soon.
An online memorial can be viewed at www.given-dawson-paisleyfh.com.
Category: Obituaries
