MCKINNEY, Texas — Memorial service for John William Steakley Jr., of McKinney, who died Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010, at his home after a long illness, will be at 2 p.m. today at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home Chapel.

A private family burial will be at Calvary Hill Cemetery.

Mr. Steakley was born July 26, 1951, in Cleburne, Texas, the only son of car dealer John William Steakley and Marjorie Elizabeth O’Bannon.

He was a novelist. His family moved to Dallas in 1963 and he attended St. Marks Academy and graduated from Colorado Academyin Denver. He attended Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri where he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and graduated with a degree in English from Southern Methodist University in 1973. He married Lori Jo Jones in 1988. John later married Nannette Roshell Felter in 2003. John began writing as a teenager. While in college, John sold his first screenplay. “The Bluenose Limit” printed in 1981 and “Flyer” printed in 1982. They were the first of several short stories to be published by Amazing Stories magazine.  His first novel, Armor, was published in 1984. His novel, Vampire$, was published in 1990. Both books are still in print and have been published in several languages. Vampire$ was made into a major motion picture directed by John Carpenter. John Steakley was the kind of larger-than-life personality that can only come from Texas. He was a writer, actor, producer, sought-after panelist and speaker, Southern gentleman, scratch golfer, joke-teller, Cowboys fanatic, Ranger hopeful and political junkie.

Mr. Steakley was preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include his wife, Roshell Steakley; his daughter, Lexi Steakley, and her mother, Lori Hennington; his son, Coty Austin Steakley; his sister, Anne Steakley Reeder; niece, Elizabeth Reeder Johnson, and husband, Scott Johnson, and son, Grant;  nieces, Sara Reeder Bell and Laura Anne Reeder; daughter, Chelsea Felter; stepmother, Danielle Tarnowski Steakley; stepfather, Charles A. Larrance; brothers, Mike Larrance, and wife, Jo Lynn, and their sons, Daniel and David, and Chris Larrance; sister, Samantha Larrance Ridden, and husband, Michael; and closest and dearest friend, David Ronchi.

The family would like to thank the wonderful caregivers who helped so much during the last days of John’s illness.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to: The Triad (Texas Resources for Iraq-Afghanistan Deployment) Fund, The Dallas Foundation, 900 Jackson Street, Suite 705, Dallas, Texas 75202 Note: Please indicate TRIAD in the memo line. To convey condolences or to sign an online registry, please visit www.tjmfuneral.com.