William Collins Kohler

1937 - 2018

Kohler, William Collins William Collins Kohler passed away at his residence in Sheboygan on the evening of Friday, March 2nd. Born in Evanston, Illinois, on September 19th, 1937, the son of John Michael Kohler III and Julilly House Kohler, Collins was the grandson of Walter J. and Charlotte Kohler, and Lilly and William Henry House. Collins attended Kohler Public Schools before graduating from Phillips Andover Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, in 1955. He went on to Harvard University, where he was elected President of DU Club 1958-59 and membership in the Signet Society, graduating with a BA degree in Economics in 1959. He subsequently earned an MA in Fine Arts from Harvard in 1964. One of his great continuing interests was the history of classical art and archeology. As an undergraduate and graduate student, he participated in several excavations in the late 1950s and early 1960s to the ancient Lydian site of Sardis, Turkey, led by Harvard and Cornell Universities under Prof. George M.A. Hanfmann. Collins also had a lifelong interest and devotion to the study of literature, history, and philosophy, as well as to all things "noble and enlightening" and "distinguished and humane." When he returned to living in Sheboygan County in mid-life, he wrote poetry and photographed his beloved Wisconsin countryside with feeling and sensitivity. Consistent with his kind nature and compassionate spirit, Collins aided numerous philanthropic organizations dedicated to promoting peace, improving the lives of those in need, and "helping the underdog." His contributions extended from international to local levels, including Sheboygan's Bookworm Gardens in memory of his mother, Julilly House Kohler, a believer in the beneficial power of children being exposed to good books and beauty in gardens and nature. Collins was a gentle, discerning individual who made a difference in his family and to the world through his thoughtful, ongoing Love of the Good. He was pre-deceased by his former wife, Dr. Elaine Humphreys Kohler, and is survived by his brother, John M. Kohler, Jr. and his wife Lilly Lancaster Kohler of Spartanburg, South Carolina; his sister Julilly Kohler of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; his sister Marie Kohler and her husband, Brian Mani, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; as well as eight nieces and nephews, sixteen great-nieces and great-nephews, and numerous family relatives. Funeral services will be held at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 623 Ontario Avenue, Sheboygan, at 1:00 PM on Saturday, March 24th, 2018, conducted by the Reverend Cindy Thompson. The family will be at the church hall from 10:30am to noon to greet friends and relatives. Interment at Woodland Cemetery in Kohler following the service. Please visit www.ballhornchapels.com to sign the guestbook. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Bookworm Gardens, 1415 Campus Drive, Sheboygan, WI 53081; Ploughshares Fund, 315 Bay Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94133; Nia Imani Family Inc, 1353 N. 25th St., Milwaukee, WI 53206.