Obituary
It is with great sadness we announce the death of Peter Kohler. Peter died suddenly at his home in Fort Myers, Florida on December 2, 2019 at age 77. Peter was born in Talheim, Germany to Martin Kohler and Anneliese (Bossert) Kohler. Besides his parents he was predeceased by his brothers, Richard and Paul Kohler, his sister-in-law Edith Kohler and brother-in-law Helmut Ehrenreich. Peter will be lovingly remembered by his sons Perry and Michael Kohler (Jamesie Coolican) and their mother Joan Kohler, his granddaughters Annaliesa and Campbell Kohler, his partner Stella Yorke and her children and grandchildren. He will also be sadly missed and fondly remembered by his sister Irmgard Ehrenreich, sister-in-law Maria Kohler, special lifelong friend Adolf Bauer of Talheim, Germany and many relatives and friends throughout Canada, Germany and the United States.
Peter graduated from the University of Konstance, Germany with an Engineering Diploma in 1964 and immigrated to Canada in 1965. He attended Queens University in Kingston, Ontarioand graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in 1968. Following his graduation he went to work for the IOC in Labrador City, NL until 1974. Peter then went to work as the Chief Engineer at NorthStar Cement in Cornerbrook, NL until 1978. At this point Peter decided to realize his life’s dream of starting his own business, and moved to Truro, NS where he and his friend, John Ballard, started a cellulose insulation manufacturing company. After branching out on his own Peter founded Kohler International Ltd (present day Kohltech Windows and Entrance Systems) manufacturing vinyl windows in 1982. Over the next 27 years Peter’s company grew from four employees to over 400. Peter received many awards for his entrepreneurship, but to him his greatest reward was providing employment for so many people. Peter always said the company would not have succeeded without the support and loyalty of his employees. Peter will also be remembered for his philanthropy, establishing a scholarship for Engineering students at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, his donations to Colchester East Hants Regional Hospital and Cardiac Research at the QEII, and his support for Brigadoon Village in Nova Scotia. Peter was an avid skier, golfer and tennis player, and enjoyed driving sports cars. Above all, Peter loved and enjoyed being Opa to his two young granddaughters. Family flowers only please. Donations in Peter’s memory may be made to Brigadoon Village for Dave’s Place at brigadoonvillage.org, or made to fund cardiac research at the QEII Foundation. For donations to the QEII Foundation please direct your gift to Cardiac Research in honour of Peter Kohler. Donate at QE@Foundation.ca, by calling 18884280220 or by mailing a gift to the QEII Foundation, 5657 Spring Garden Rd, Park Lane Mall, Box 231, Halifax, NS, B3J 3R4.
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