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A larger crowd is expected for his funeral mass at the church at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Known as Bernie to most area residents, Kohler was one of his community's strongest voices and even a stroke didn't bring him to a complete stop. He died a day short of Father's Day.

Born in Burnside Township, Kohler served his community first as a solider in the Pacific during World War II and then in a variety of ways including president of the North Branch Area Schools board, village president in North Branch for a dozen years and as a Lapeer County Road Commissioner.

"He was feisty," recalled his parish priest, Fr. Richard Treml. When Fr. Treml came to Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church six years ago, Kohler was dealing with the effects of a stroke 13 years earlier, but it didn't keep him from kidding around with the priest during home visits.

Kohler is remembered by many Lapeer County residents for his ability to work with people and for the pool table he kept in the North Branch insurance agency he owned for 35 years.

"My dad used to play pool with him every day at lunch," recalled Tom Orr, whose family owns Daniel Orr and Sons Hardware on Huron Street.

Denise Kohler-Kolesar, who now lives in the Grand Rapids area, said her father could be summed up in three words, "Kind. Happy. Generous."

Kohler-Kolesar said her father was a mere 92 pounds when he entered the Army in World War II and ended up driving a tank. She said that's were he picked up the nickname "Wabbit," because he talked like Elmer Fudd.

"On any given morning Bernie could be seen going to his office picking up litter, while whistling a tune," she recalled.

"Bernie took care of North Branch pretty well," said Lapeer County Undersheriff Robert Rapson, "He was just a peach of a guy."

He also recalled the pool table in Kohler's office. "A lot of business was done over that table," Rapson said.

Along with running a successful insurance business for 35 years in North Branch, Kohler served on the North Branch School Board and then became president in the early 60s, helping develop and build the first high school on Brush Street, which now serves as most of North Branch's education campus.

"Gosh, simply put he was well informed and very friendly," said Preston Orr, one of his contemporaries. "Whatever he worked at, he worked at hard," he said.

Kohler-Kolesar said along with hard working, her father was generous. "When the competing insurance agency caught fire, dad made room in his agency until they could get back on their feet," she recalled. She added her father also expected she and her brothers and sisters to shovel sidewalks and deliver groceries for the elderly on snow days.

She said one of her oldest brother's fondest memories of her father is the frustration of his father continuously stopping to talk to people on the street on their way home when they were supposed to be on their way to go fishing. She said, "He looks back on it with fondness, because he now understands how his dad just loved the public and the people."

After serving on the school board Kohler was village president of North Branch from 1974 to 1980 and then again 1986 to 1992.

A severe stroke in 1989 forced him to use a walker to get around, but it didn't slow him down, said family and friends.

After leaving the president's office, he served on the Lapeer County Road Commission. He was also a regular columnist with The Country Press in the 80s and 90s.

Kohler-Kolesar said her father and mother, Mary Grace, had a 56-year-long love story. She said her mother took care of her father almost until the end. Kohler-Kolesar recalled her went dancing with her mother every Saturday night, and when she and her siblings were young, on Saturday nights they all danced to Lawrence Welk.

Five years ago Mary Grace came down with cancer. She recalled that even when they were both debilitated, "You'd come down in the morning and find them snuggling."

Kohler-Kolesar said her family brought her father to Faith Hospice of Trillium Woods in Grand Rapids in January when his care became too much for her mother. In March her mother lost her fight with cancer.

"It's just been a heart-wrenching year," she said. "He was ready to be with mom."

Phil Foley may be reached at (810) 664-0811, Ext. 8148 or pfoley@lapeergroup.com