The Gloucester Township Police Department came together last week to honor the life and service of its former chief, John Stollsteimer Jr., who died last month at 75.
Current and retired members of the department Stollsteimer joined in 1970 gathered at St. Agnes Church in Blackwood to pay their respects to the Shamong native and his family. Stollsteimer – who was the township’s eighth police chief from 1992 to the year of his retirement in 2006 – was remembered fondly by colleagues and the community he served during 36 years in law enforcement.
For his funeral mass on May 8, township officers escorted the hearse carrying Stollsteimer past their headquarters for a final salute. A video capturing that moment has been shared online.
After the mass, Stollsteimer was again escorted by township officers to his final resting place at Pinelands Memorial Park in Shamong. Current Chief David Harkins had fond memories of Stollsteimer.
“Upon my becoming chief of police, he was one of the first to congratulate me,” Harkins recalled to patch.com. “He regularly reached out to provide his support, always from the viewpoint of a fellow chief of police.”
Stollsteimer’s other career highlights included serving as president of the Camden County Association of Chiefs of Police and as a member of the advisory board for the Camden County College Police Academy. He was a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
Stollsteimer’s public service extended beyond police work with involvement in his own community and beyond, including organizing a supply drive for a Mississippi police department after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Township police expressed their gratitude to departments in Camden County that assisted in Stollsteimer’s funeral, as well as the community.
For more information, visit Gloucester Township Police Department’s official website.
