Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Jeffrey Stephen “Steve” Willis, 66, passed away on Saturday, July 4, 2026 at his home in Front Royal, Virginia. A funeral service will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
Colonel Willis was born on June 14, 1960 in Kingsport, Tennessee, to the late Glynn and Helen Frazier Willis. After college graduation, he began a military career, serving as a Field Artillery officer, then, after earning an MBA and Juris Doctor degree at the University of Oklahoma, as a member of the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Assignments included Fort Sill, Fort Bragg, Washington, D.C, Fort Belvoir, and Germany, where Colonel Willis deployed to Bosnia in support of the NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) Operation and Operation Joint Guard. His favorite assignments were with XVIII Airborne Corps, where he earned a Master Parachutist rating, and with V Corps, in Germany. Colonel Willis continued his education after law school, earning an LLM in Military Law from The Judge Advocate General’s School, Charlottesville, VA; and an LLM in Environmental Law from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., and a MA in Global Affairs from the University of Oklahoma. After retiring from active duty in 2007, he continued to serve the Army as a civilian attorney specializing in Environmental Law until he retired from federal service in 2025.
Survivors include his daughter, Ellyn McMahon, her husband Alex, and their children, Morgan and Nathan; his step-daughter Kristin Escobar, her husband, Aaron, and their children, Lily, Eleanor, Vivian, and Delilah; his former spouse, Deana Willis; three brothers, Timothy Glynn “Tim” Willis, Terry Lynn Willis and his wife Julie, and Jonathan Gregory Willis; his nieces and nephews Sarah Willis, Meghan Willis, Kevin Willis, Cheryl Phillips, Kimberly Burgraff, Stephanie Meeks, Amanda Valley, Alex Perle, and Brandon Willis, and their families. He was preceded in death by his sister, Cathy Ann Willis Farrington.
Colonel Willis deeply valued family. One of five geographically dispersed siblings, he traveled great distances to attend every family wedding, to commission his nephew, Kevin, and to participate in other significant family milestones and celebrations. He found great joy in being with his family, and made sure to stay informed of the events of their lives.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the University of Oklahoma College of Law Second Century Scholarship or General Scholarship Fund at https://law.ou.edu/about/donate.
Steve was a good man. Even though as brothers we did not always get along, I respected him and his accomplishments in school, athletics and his career.
Rest in peace brother. I will miss you and sorry we did not stay in touch for the last few years.
Steve was a great neighbor and kind friend to my husband Bruce who always enjoyed spending time with him when they got together for lunch. He made sure to help Bruce with removing snow making sure our driveway was clear. Our dog Maggie enjoyed the treats he shared with her. Rest in the sleep of peace Steve.
I served with Steve for over 20 years. He was dedicated to serving his country both as a soldier, and later, as a civil servant. He brought inspiration and humor to the people with whom he worked.
Rest in Peace
I had the privilege of serving with Steve for 8 years, learning from him and relying on him to solve the most complex issues. He was brilliant and saw the forest through the trees every time. He was a dedicated lawyer and civil servant and cared deeply about the mission and the environment.
May his soul be at peace.