Interview date: 30 March 2022
John R. Stoeffler attended Pennsylvania Military College and graduated in 1963 with a BA. Commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army, Stoeffler spent one year of his two-year active duty in Korea. After active duty he went to work for General Electric and worked on projects in his community, creating 'Kids Who Care", a program which led children in collecting toys, food and clothing for those in need nearby. Stoeffler also organized "Republicare", a program with the local Republican Party and the Salvation Army to collect items for the needy during the Christmas season. After decades as a salesman, Stoeffler retired in 2003 and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida in 2016.
In 1966, Stoeffler married the former Linda Diane Lord of Linwood, New Jersey. They have been married for fifty-four years and had two children: Susan (deceased) and Laura. They have four grandchildren: Haley, Kylie, Kanon and Lexie.
For five years, Stoeffler wrote a weekly commentary column in the St. Louis West News titled "As I See It". He also wrote country music, pitched is songs along Music Row in Nashville, and penned a book of poetry: God, Family, Freedom.
MWSA: What was the inspiration for your book?
In 2008 I awoke one morning thinking about the children of members of our armed forces who are deployed and how sad they must be missing their parent. I had an idea for a pillow with the picture printed on it of their mom or dad. I discussed this with my wife who thought this was a good idea. With this in mind we began making these "Sweet Dreams Pillows". An individual who heard about our program offered to make us a web site and the orders came in. We, my wife and I along with our volunteers who we referred to as our "Pillow Platoon" made and shipped free over 13,000 pillows. Unfortunately, health issues forced us to discontinue this great project. That this made a difference to the children was evident in responses from parents of those children who received their Sweet Dreams Pillows. Responses like, "The monsters are gone" and "The bedwetting has stopped" are just two of hundreds of responses we received. The hardest pillows to make were for children of a parent who was KIA. All-in-all it was the best job my wife and I ever had that didn't pay a cent.
MWSA: Any new writing projects in the offing?
No new writing projects at this time.
MWSA: Can you think of another writing project that would be as rewarding as our Sweet Dreams Pillow Project was?
No.
MWSA: Are the subjects of my book "Lexie's Gift" real?
While the characters in my book are fictitious the names are those of family members.
MWSA: What do you hope children who read this book? will take away from it?
As the story ends Lexie who made a special pillow for her best friend, Susan, are asked by a boy who sees Susan's pillow if Lexie will make one for him and his brother seeing how his daddy, a Marine, is deployed. Lexie asks Susan if she will help to which Susan gleefully agrees. In making pillows for others both learn that it is more rewarding to give than to recieve.