John Stewart Karinen passed away Sunday, Jan 22, 2017 in Rapid City at the age of 74. He was born Nov 24, 1942 in Rapid City to John Edward Karinen and Irene (Stewart) Karinen. He grew up in Rapid City, and, after high school, joined the Air Force where he enjoyed being stationed in Japan and in Maryland where he worked for the NSA as a crypto analyst. After discharge he came back to Rapid City and was a truck driver for Dakota Block for years. He later worked for the Rapid City School System as a custodian at West Middle School, the job that he retired from. John was an avid outdoorsman. He loved to hunt and fish in his beloved Black Hills and surrounding prairies, doing his own reloading and tying his own flies. He had a great interest in understanding and preserving the natural world with all the benefits that nature gives us for future generations. For him, the past several years have been a battle with progressive COPD, a diagnosis that he faced with great courage bolstered by his great Catholic faith. He was grateful to be able to stay in his home throughout his illness with the help of his sister.John is survived by his sister Karel Ann Bielstein and her husband Hal, nephew Joel Bielstein and his partner Peggy Detmers, all of Rapid City, and nephew Nick Bielstein of Amarillo, Texas.