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Raymond H. ‘Ray’ Kohler

Raymond H. “Ray” Kohler, 95, died peacefully at The Williamsport Home on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, from old age. He was born in Williamsport, in 1925. He married Claire Mary Baier on May 7, 1949.

Ray was predeceased by his parents, George J. Kohler and Clara M. Stopper Kohler; Claire, his wife of 47 years; brothers, Edward J., George A. and Thomas P.; sister, Jean Gouldy Page; his eldest daughter, Regina Mueller; and grandson-in-law, Sean P. Delaney.

He is survived by Ellen Apker Lucas, the second love of his life for over 20 years. Ray is also survived by his son-in-law, Conrad Mueller; children, Roxanna Carpenter (Chuck), Gregory Kohler (Jonnee), Raymond Kohler (Sue), Karen McCloskey (Bernie), Norma Kohler (Art Powlison) and LuAnn Uhl (John); 26 grandchildren and even more great-grandchildren; plus many nieces and nephews.

A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Ray served in World War II in the Pacific Theater as an aviation machinist mate third class. Later, he was employed by the Williamsport Grit newspaper where he met Claire and where he learned his technical expertise by reading the Sylvania manuals printed there. Other employment included Stroehmann Bakeries, Sylvania Electric Products, installing television antennas, Robert M. Sides, then his own business in TV sales and repair, Kohler TV.

Ray lived life to the fullest and had a great sense of humor which made everyone smile. He had a lifelong love of learning and puttering with just about anything. He built the family home in Montoursville and lived there until after Claire’s death when he met Ellen at the senior center. Ray and Ellen then resided in Marsh Hill for a number of years before returning to Montoursville. Most recently they resided at the Presbyterian Home in Williamsport.

Ray was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Montoursville. He had been active in the folk group for many years. Music was a big part of his life and he passed that on to his children. Ray had played in the Zafar Grotto String Band and had been a regular musician at the senior center.

He was creative and loved to invent, transform, and could fix just about anything. He built the family home in 1950, enlarged it in 1963 and rebuilt the entire roof structure with solar hot air heat in 1975. In 1996, he rebuilt daughter Karen’s house that was destroyed by a flood. He built a 14-foot sailboat, a camper on a pickup truck, an electric guitar and any tool that he needed or wanted, including a sextant and a complete set of handmade musical tuning forks. He was a pioneer in large screen projection TV, having presented his model at the Consumer Electronics show in the late 1970s. He was an avid amateur astronomer and loved his crossword puzzles. He will be lovingly missed by his family and friends.

There will be a Memorial Mass of Christian Burial Friday, Oct. 23, 2:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 100 Walnut St., Montoursville, with Rev. Michael S. McCormick as celebrant. Burial will follow in Immaculate Conception Cemetery, 5973 Jacks Hollow Road, Williamsport.

There will be a viewing Thursday, Oct. 22, 6 to 7 p.m. at Spitler Funeral Home, 733 Broad St., Montoursville.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Ray’s memory may be made to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 100 Walnut St., Montoursville, PA 17754.

www.spitlerfuneralhome.com