Colonel Michael Mosteller, USMC (retired), of Raleigh, died peacefully on Saturday, February 6, 2010. Colonel Mosteller was born on November 7, 1921 to Dr. Ralph Mosteller and wife Marie Berkner Mosteller in Columbus, GA. He graduated from Augusta Military Academy in 1938 and from the Citadel in Charleston, SC in June, 1941. He was commissioned as an officer in the US Marine Corps in July of 1942 and graduated first in his class at Officer Candidates School at Quantico. On October 24, 1942 he was married to Marian Elizabeth Breeland of Aiken, SC in the Citadel Chapel just prior to being deployed to the Pacific for combat duty. He was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division and participated in several major operations in the Pacific Theater, including the battles for Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa. His 31 year career in the Marine Corps also included tours of duty in Japan (during the Korean conflict) and in Okinawa and Vietnam during the Vietnam War. He retired as a colonel in 1973. He earned a master’s degree in Computer Science at American University in Washington, DC and then used his computer knowledge and programming skills for a 30 year career with Planning Research Corporation in McLean, VA, retiring at the age of 82. He helped design numerous software systems including projects associated with the Space Shuttle program and the Emergency Management (911) System for the city of Quebec. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Marian E. Mosteller, by his son Michael Mosteller, Jr. and wife Janis of Cary, NC, by his daughter, Patricia M. Johnson and husband Sam of Greenville, NC, by seven grandchildren, Corrie Bitsas and husband John of Raleigh, NC, Mary Tennant and husband Ben of Cary, NC, Esther Futrell and husband Jonathan of Baltimore, MD, Anne Mosteller of Cary, NC, Andrew Johnson and wife Elizabeth of Atlanta, GA, Amy Turnblazer and husband Jason of Greenville, NC, Tori Burnett and husband Charles of Atlanta, GA, and by four great grandsons, Sam, Hampton and Land Johnson and Charlie Burnett all of Atlanta, GA. The funeral service will be conducted on Monday February 15th at 2 PM at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, 6715 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA. The burial will take place on Tuesday February 16th at 1 PM at the Quantico National Cemetery, 18424 Joplin Road (Route 619), Triangle, VA.
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