Steve Petkoff

Steve Petkoff, 91, formerly of El Dorado Springs, passed away on Feb. 3, 2011, in Odessa. He was born Jan. 21, 1920, in Hobart, OK. He was the son of George Petkoff Sr. and Rose Ratkoff Petkoff.

He graduated from High School in Hobart, OK, in 1939.

In 1941, he married Mary Magdeline George in Helena, AR.

Steve was a member of the greatest generation, enlisting in the United States Army and serving during World War II. During the war, he fought for his country in Italy and France and took part in the historic Battle of the Bulge.

After the war, he joined the firm of Rinehart and Donovan and worked constructing power lines for the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). In 1951, he went to work for KAMO Electric in Neosho and then was transferred to El Dorado Springs.
Steve was promoted to superintendent of operations for KAMO in Cleveland, OK, in 1967. He retired from KAMO in 1983 and remained in Cleveland until the summer of 2007 when he moved to Broken Arrow, OK, to live with his daughter and son-in-law.

Steve was a generous individual sharing his considerable construction and electrical knowledge with neighbors, friends and relatives. He spent many hours helping maintain the property at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Cleveland where he was an active member. In addition to helping others with their needs, he enjoyed children, fishing, playing pinochle, watching televised St. Louis Cardinal Baseball games, viewing college and professional football contests and raising a large garden, always sharing the garden’s bounty with his neighbors.

Steve was a long-time member of the American Legion and the Knights of Columbus. At the time of his death, Steve was a member of St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Broken Arrow, OK.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary, who died in 1999; his parents; four sisters - Katherine Gyergyov, Dorothy Triacoff, Mary Crain and Ann Taylor; and two brothers, George Petkoff Jr. and Robert Petkoff.

He is survived by his son, James Steven Petkoff and wife, Sharon - Bates City, and a daughter, Jane Susan Marquardt and her husband, Ron - Broken Arrow, OK; four grandchildren - Tracy Bell (Darrell), Rob Petkoff, Mark Marquardt (Hajira) and Rick Marquardt (Julianne); eight great-grandchildren - Barrett, Kendall, Kenzie Bell, Justin and Andi Petkoff, and Adam, Alexandra and Katherine Marquardt; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was held on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the Chapel of the Chapman-Black Funeral Home, Cleveland, OK, with burial in the Woodland Cemetery in Cleveland, OK, under the direction of the Chapman-Black Funeral Home.