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In memory of
Robert "Bob" E Koehler
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Bob's obituary
Bob was born on May 18, 1935, in Worcester, MA to R.L. and Lillian Koehler, and grew up in Auburn, MA with his younger brother, Lincoln Koehler, who currently resides in Clarksville, TN. Bob enlisted in the Navy in 1953, and traveled to many places in the world, as well as proudly served his country in Vietnam, as a member of the “Brown Water Navy” team that patrolled the rivers of the Vietnam jungles. He made the Navy his career, and retired in 1973 as a Chief Petty Officer, after serving on numerous ships and submarines. After his retirement from the Navy, Bob started a second career in office machine repair and sales. When Jean retired from teaching, they relocated from Pierce County to Mesquite, and then later Las Vegas, NV, where they enjoyed exploring the national parks, riding ATV’s in the desert, and of course the wonderful shows and restaurants in Las Vegas.
Bob was an avid sportsman and dedicated much of his spare time to organizations that promoted safe and responsible use of our natural resources. He was a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, and held numerous leadership positions in the Paul Bunyan Rifle and Sportsman’s Club, Puyallup WA, as well as the Pierce County Game Protectors and the Washington State Sportsman Council. When he was not hunting or fishing, he enjoyed traveling and woodworking. His daughters and grandchildren still enjoy the beautiful clocks that he built.
Bob was preceded in death by his first wife Marjorie (Prindle) Koehler, of North Brookfield, MA. He is survived by his second wife, Jean Koehler, of Las Vegas, as well as 4 daughters, Joan (Koehler) Chappell and her husband David of Olympia, WA, Grace (Koehler) Sortland and her husband Jon, of Brier WA, Kay Hickcox of Las Vegas, NV, and Marti (Hickcox) Foster and her friend Jim Israel, of Huntsville, AL. He has 6 grandchildren, Christopher Chappell, Camille Chappell, Trevor Sortland, Katerina Sortland, Alex Matheson, and Kelsey Baker and was blessed with 3 great grandchildren. He will be missed by all of his friends and relatives, but leaves behind so many happy memories that he will never be forgotten. There will be no formal funeral or memorial; please honor his memory by donating to the Special Olympics of Washington State at http://specialolympicswashing…
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Created with love by
Joan Chappell (Bob's daughter).
