Obituary of Richard T. Steinbrenner

Warren; Richard T. Steinbrenner, age 79, passed away on Friday January 22, 2016 at River’s Edge Rehab in Raritan NJ. Born in Summit, NJ, he had resided in Warren since 1966. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years Anne (Taylor) Steinbrenner; a son Ted and his wife Allison Polin of Alice Springs, Australia; two daughters Marjorie King and her husband Karl of Bridgewater NJ, and Cathy Steinbrenner and her husband David Whale of Reston VA. He is also survived by six grandchildren: Ryan King, Lindsey and Eli Steinbrenner, as well as Samantha, Nina and Tyler Whale. He was preceded in death by a sister, Ann Freeman, in 1983. Mr. Steinbrenner grew up in Union where he attended the Pingry School, then located in Elizabeth, graduating in 1954. In 1958, Mr. Steinbrenner earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Union College in Schenectady NY. He was a two-sport star at Pingry and Union, excelling at both baseball and soccer. Co-captain of the 1957 Union soccer team, he was especially known for his goal-scoring prowess, setting the record for career goals scored at Union College. After graduating from Union College, he began a 40-year career at Bell Laboratories, primarily in Whippany, NJ, and earned his Master’s Degree, also in Mechanical Engineering, from New York University while working. Named on several patents, he began his career as an engineer, but quickly moved up into program management, working on many significant technology projects involving sonar, mini-recorders, and signal processing systems. Retiring in 2000, the true mark of his career was the respect and affection he earned from those who worked for him. Mr. Steinbrenner was devoted to his family, sharing many of his interests with his children. He was a classical music aficionado and encouraged his children to pursue musical instruments. He was particularly giving of his time to his children’s sports interests, spending countless hours helping them master skills, and attending nearly all of their soccer, baseball, and softball games. He coached several of his son’s soccer and baseball teams, and, later, his grandson’s soccer teams. He was a lifelong Yankee fan, but embraced the Phillies as well at the behest of his children. His true passion was trains, especially the Lehigh Valley Railroad and ALCO (American Locomotive Company) locomotives. In addition to being a gifted modeler, he photographed trains over seven decades. This interest he shared with his son, who began joining him on his train trips in 1973 at the age of 5. After his retirement, he focused on authoring and publishing books about trains, including the definitive history of ALCO, “The American Locomotive Company: A Centennial Remembrance” in 2003. He also served as Chairman of the Board at the ALCO Historical & Technical Society. A visitation will be held on Tuesday January 26, 2016 from 5 to 8 pm at Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd. Watchung NJ. The funeral service will be on Wednesday at the funeral home at 10:00 am. The interment will follow at Hollywood Memorial Park in Union NJ. Memorial donations may be made in his loving memory to ALCO Historical & Technical Society or American Diabetes Association.