Gert Koerner

Gert Koerner, 83, of Warminster, passed away on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. He was the husband to Monika Hoelting Koerner for 59 years.
Born October 29, 1940 in Tallin, Estonia, he was the son of the late Gert and Elfriede Trik Koerner.
Gert lived a long & rich life, where his early life's challenges fueled his internal drive, independence & lifelong search for his roots; even his place of birth was first uncovered late in his life as being Berlin, Germany, but never officially recorded. Born during World War 2, his early childhood was complicated & offered little stability. Tragically, his father never returned from war. After landing in an Estonian displaced person's camp near Hamburg Germany, he attended Estonian & German grammar schools. His mother remarried Edgar Brolis and together in 1950, they emigrated to the US at age of 10. His family settled in Philadelphia, where his independence grew. Gert self-selected Overbrook High School drawn to their athletics program. He joined the track team and became All-City champion in shot put 1958 & 1959, which drew the attention of Temple University, where he attended with a Track & Field full scholarship. At Temple University, he developed lifelong friendships that have stayed with him until the very end of his life. Gert graduated with a BA in Economics in 1965.
While living in Philadelphia, he met the love of his life Monika at the International House student mixer. Although Monika returned home to Germany upon visa expiration, Gert eventually followed to surprise her & ultimately ask her parents for their daughter's hand in marriage. While in Germany, Gert attended the University of Marburg to better his German language & cultural knowledge to ultimately connect with his new German family.
Shortly after his stay in Germany, he joined the United States Army, Armor Division, in Fort Knox, KY for Officer Candidacy School. His time in the Army was the most cherished & talked about time of this life. One of the most memorable experiences was when he led Long Range Patrol duty in Alaska, giving him extreme physical, mental & engineering challenges that left lasting impressions. He ultimately left the Army to pursue an engineering career, receiving a BA in Engineering at Drexel University while working full time. Gert spent most of his civilian career within construction management, ultimately becoming Senior Vice President of Operations, leading large-scale nationwide construction projects, most visible being Liberty One (Philadelphia) and Terminal 4 JFK Airport (New York).
Gert resided with Monika in Newtown, PA for 40+ years. He had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, music, nature & ice cream. He was an avid reader and collector of historical military books, always eager to share his insights with friends and family. Since childhood, he was drawn to the outdoors. Even up until his last years, Gert walked for miles each day, most often in the woods, off-trail, looking for adventure and contemplating the landscape together with his beloved grand dog Yo-Yo. His love for music covered many genres, from classical to opera to rock that he honored by investing in hi-fi sound systems, which could move him to tears.
Along with his wife Monika, Gert is survived by his children, Gerhardt Koerner and Karola (Koerner) & Claus Hesselberg-Thomsen; grandchildren, Timo & Felix; siblings & their spouses Imants & Velga Brolis, Viesturs & Hope Brolis, Mara & Don Silinski, Ina Brolis; as well as an extended list of loving family & friends.
Relatives and friends are invited to pay their condolences on Monday, April 8, 2024 from 10:30am until his Memorial Service at 11:30am at the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home, 800 Newtown-Richboro Rd. (at Holland Rd.), Richboro, PA 18954. Interment with military honors will follow immediately after services at Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Newtown.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Gert's name can be made to, Alzheimer's Association, 399 Market Street, Suite 102, Philadelphia, PA 19106 https://www.alz.org/delval/donate Send Flowers And Gifts