Tom Frederick Koehler

Tom F. Koehler passed away peacefully on February 11, 2026 in Montrose CO at age 90. He was born in Cincinnati, OH and grew up in Ft. Thomas, KY. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1958 in electrical engineering and married Joan Faller that same year. They had two sons. After earning an MSEE at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, he worked for Sperry Gyroscope and then moved his family to Scottsdale AZ in 1964. There he went to work for Motorola in the government electronics group where he was awarded two patents for his work on missile fuzes. He married Anne (Hoganson) Schifino in 1986.

After retiring from Motorola after 33 years, he worked part-time for a private engineering company that specialized in radar. He also became involved in a summer theater group in Munds Park, AZ, where he served as treasurer and was instrumental in getting a new playhouse built.

He and Anne moved to Montrose in 2012, where he was treasurer for the Montrose Arts Council and later director of the Black Canyon Bridge Club.

Tom was an avid golfer and excellent skier and bridge player. He was very proud of his hole-in-one on the Cobble Creek golf course in 2021. Other activities included serving as scoutmaster for his sons’ boy scout troop, doing pro bono tax work at the Scottsdale senior center and tutoring math at Haven House in Olathe CO.

He loved getting together with family and friends and will be remembered for his kindness, generosity and quirky sense of humor.

He is survived by his wife, Anne; sister Lois Bihary (John) of Reno, NV; sons Mark (Terri) and Ron of Chandler, AZ; stepson Mark Schifino (Dane’) of Scottsdale; stepdaughter Sara Schifino of Montrose; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The family will hold a celebration of life in Scottsdale.