Mary Alice (Kratz) Kohler of Doylestown died Wednesday, June 10, 2020. She was 90 and delighted in celebrating her birthday with many family and friends this past February.
Mary was born in 1930 to the late Lawrence and Leola (Griswold) Kratz. She grew up on the family farm in Chalfont, along with her older sister, Carolyn and younger brothers, Dan and Larry.
Mary attended Doylestown High School and West Chester Teachers College. In 1951, she married Fredrick “Fred” Kohler at Pleasantville Church where both were active their whole lives. They worked alongside each other in the family businesses — Shive Hardware and Kohler Gifts — in Doylestown, all the while, May was also being a full time stay-at-home mother. In addition to activities at church, Mary and Fred traveled extensively. They traversed the United States at least three times, visiting many national parks and hosted tours to nearly a dozen other countries. After Fred’s death, Mary moved to Heritage Towers/Wesley Enhanced Living where she was active in the community serving on the Council, hosting new residents and participating in Elder Wisdom.
Mary enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren, Derick and Mollie, with whom she shared an incredibly strong bond and was always a great champion and advocate for them.
Mary is survived by her daughters, Deborah Kohler (Edward Magner), Emlee Kohler (Howard Eglowstein), daughter-in-law, Claire Brown Kohler; her grandchildren, Rebecca Kohler, Sarah (Kohler) Beaumier, J. Frederick “Derick” Kohler III, and Mollie Kohler; her great-grandchildren, Ava and Lily Beaumier; brother, Larry Kratz (Barbara Fisher); niece, Ruth Kissinger, and other nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband, J. Frederick Kohler, her son, J. Fritz Kohler, sister, Carolyn (Kratz) Kissinger and brother, Daniel Kratz.
We are grateful to the staff at Wesley Enhanced Living who supported Mary, especially to those who cared for her in the last few years of her life including Rose, Molly, Ricardo, and her many friends.
Services are being planned and will be announced later. Interment will be private.
Memorial gifts may be sent to Pleasantville United Church of Christ, 3424 Limekiln Pike, Chalfont, PA 18914, or the Benevolent Fund at Wesley Enhanced Living, 200 Veterans Lane, Doylestown, PA 18901.
