John Lenihan Obituary

Born in Baraboo, Wisconsin, to John E. and Selma M. Hinz Lenihan, John attended Baraboo High School. In 1943, at age 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving on the islands of Okinawa and Kume Shima. After the war, he was sent to northern China, where his unit accepted the surrender of Japanese forces in the Tsingtao area, and provided support for the Chinese Nationalist Army. After WWII, John studied Arabic at the Defense Language Institute and was assigned to a small expeditionary force at Port Lyautey, French Morocco. His detachment shared responsibility for the security of the French Naval Base, as well as rendering support where needed in the Mediterranean area. In 1951, while on leave at Devil's Lake, Wisconsin, he met and eloped with Arline Kleppe, who would be his wife and companion for almost 61 years. John received his commission in the USMC while serving in the Korean War. He returned to attend Officers Basic School and graduated at the top of his class. He was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma for three years, where he was voted top instructor at the artillery school. After attending the University of Oklahoma, John was stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, and returned to the Presidio of Monterey to refresh his Arabic skills. John travelled the Middle East for several years, serving in Lebanon and Syria as a United Nations truce observer, while a U.S. Marine, and retired at Quantico, Virginia. His language skills proved valuable to the National Security Agency, sending him and his family to Asmara, Ethiopia for five years, and later to Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, Colorado. After leaving the NSA, he was hired by McDonnell Douglas for several years as a Security Manager, living in Saudi Arabia. Retiring in Colorado Springs, John was a member of Argonauts and the PPCOMPAS computer group, and enjoyed making additions to his cabin in the mountains. He is survived by his wife Arline; sons Gregory and Jeffrey; daughter Laurie; daughter-in-law Karen; grandchildren Simone, Jacob, and Tomas; great grandchildren Jayla and Weston; and sister Pat. He is preceded in death by his parents; daughter Kathleen; brother Eugene; and sister Elaine. A memorial mass will be held at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 6455 Brook Park Drive, Colorado Springs, at 11:00 am, Tuesday, 7 August 2012. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the Pikes Peak Hospice Foundation, 2550 Tenderfoot Hill Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.