Lt. Col. (Retired) David J. Stepan, 87, of Lynnport, died April 16, 2026, at the Lehigh Valley Hospice Inpatient unit in Allentown. A former airline pilot and veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he was the husband of Dorothea (Estok) Stepan and the son of the late Anton and Rose Stepan of Leigh, Neb.

Before entering the service, he graduated from the University of Nebraska. He was a pilot for Eastern Airlines until 1989 and retired from Emery Worldwide Airlines.

One of his proudest moments as a pilot was flying then First Lady Mamie Eisenhower from Alabama to England in 1989.

After his military and civilian aviation careers, he devoted his life to farming in Lynnport and was a member of Jacob’s Church.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by daughter, Katherine R. “Kate,” of Buena Vista, Colo.; son, Michael A. and Vanessa, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; grandchildren, Bradley, Arlyn, Adler; brother, Adolph and Norma, of Ashburn, Va.; sister, Loretta Engelbart, of Leigh, Neb.; nephews, Grant, Roger; niece, Elizabeth.

He was predeceased by his brother-in-law, Robert Engelbart, nephew, Russell Engelbart.

Nester Funeral Home, New Tripoli, handled the arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to Jacob’s Church and/or Lynnport Fire Co., c/o the funeral home, 8405 Kings Highway, New Tripoli, 18066. Online condolences are recorded at NesterFuneralHome.com.