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John Henry Kohler, III Obituary

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John Henry Kohler, III

Buford, GA

May 13, 1943 - January 4, 2021

John Henry Kohler, III Obituary

John H. Kohler III passed away on January 4, 2021 from a long gradual advance of pulmonary fibrosis. He was born in Rockledge, FL in May, 1943 to John Henry Kohler, Jr. and Selma Pearl Ellis Kohler. His degrees were from Millsaps College, Appalachian State and PhD from Georgia State. A history professor & Dean of Arts & Sciences at Clayton State College & University in Morrow Georgia, with social science colleagues & their spouses as close friends who became the Cassowara, sharing bicycle trips, New Year’s Eves, dinners & international trips. After retirement, John and his wife Dyna helped found the Chattahoochee Parks Conservancy, serving on the Board for four years. They were longtime volunteers for Ranger Jerry Hightower’s education programs. They also kept the Annual Atlanta Open Orthographic Meet alive over decades. John would cook a sumptuous meal for its “Beekeepers” the night before the event as Dyna organized words, website & history. John loved more than anything to host, cook and share stories with friends & family. He called it “cuisine hospitality.” Another theme was boats. Both sides of his family had been on the Florida Gulf Coast for generations and his mother’s side included boat captains, oystermen, one or more fishing writers and boat builders. John owned a number of boats in his lifetime, from a childhood fishing boat where he had to haul the motor and clean it after each use, to his largest motorboats, the Dyna R and the S Pearl. He also loved sailing, certified for 50-foot sailboats. But motors are easier on the GA Intracoastal waterways where the Isle of Hope, Sapelo & Cumberland were special places. John had a lifelong love of travel, from hitchhiking alone at 16, with his parents’ permission, from Pensacola to Miami and going to Nassau. He was treated as a responsible adult from an early age. In the Army he worked in the Adjutant General’s Corps in Germany and explored Europe in his time off, especially Spain & Pamplona. In 1993 a 50th birthday in Pamplona led to discovering the Camino Santiago de Compostella. He said his 60th birthday would be to walk the Camino. He & Dyna walked it three different years for a total of 1100 miles. John also participated in a Fulbright group project abroad in India in 1976 and again in 1985, as a co-leader of the group. John was also park chair for many years for his neighborhood’s Rivermont Park. He oversaw building of a pavilion, updating the grandfathered deck & playground, while carefully working through the MRPA & conservation easement requirements. He had no children, but had beloved nieces, nephews, those who considered him uncle or godparent, and many dear friends, family, colleagues and neighbors. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Dyna Rucktashel Kohler, his brother William Hansel “Hanse” Kohler, niece Jackie Kohler Wilson (Hayes Wilson) and grand-nephew Jack Kohler Wilson, as well as 2 nieces, a nephew, 3 grand-nieces, and 3 grand-nephews on his wife’s side. Outdoor memorial services will be planned later for friends and family at Rivermont Park in Johns Creek, and on the GA coast, and in Pensacola. If you wish, you may donate to the Chattahoochee National Parks Conservancy in his honor. https://www.chattahoocheeparks.org On-line condolences may be expressed at www.crowellbrothers.com. Arrangements entrusted to Crowell Brothers Funeral Homes & Crematory, 201 Morningside Dr., Buford, GA 30518. 770-945-9999

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