Obituary: Koehler, Elise

KOEHLER, Elise “Leesy”

Passed away peacefully in her home Tuesday, March 20 2012.

Her three children, three grandchildren, family and friends miss her deeply and remember her joyfully.

Leesy grew up all along the East Coast, most memorably in Port Kennedy, PA, at CHAG, their family home.

She spent her high school years there, captaining the field hockey team, playing baritone in the band, singing in the choir, studying college prep courses and was crowned May Queen her Senior year.

She attended Dickinson College, earning a BA in Math and Psychology.

She was a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority.

Following college, she worked as a lead statistician for a marketing analysis company in Philadelphia until her marriage to George in 1958.

Together she and George lived in Thunder Bay, Ontario and later Salem, MO where Mike was born.

George’s job took the family to Spokane, WA, where they designed and built their dream home.

Trish and Susan were born and Leesy served her family and the community through League of Women Voters, the Spokane Valley Food Bank, as a proud band parent, cheering and coaching her children’s soccer teams.

Happy family memories revolve around summer camping trips, their dogs, travel and entertaining at the lake house.

After George’s retirement, she continued to serve as church treasurer, Bishop’s Guild treasurer, and with Interfaith Hospitality Network.

She enjoyed bookkeeping, traveling the world with her husband, spending time with friends and visiting her children at their homes across the country.

Leesy was a truly remarkable woman.

She was straight-forward, caring, fair, loving, strong, independent, generous, and kind.

She loved God soulfully.

The world will remember her acts of goodness, her direct personality, her high energy and independence, her devotion to her friends and family and deep love for George.

We will miss her sense of humor, her intelligent conversation and quick thinking, and her charitable nature.

Carpe Diem!

Memorial Service for Elise will be held Saturday, May 5, 2012, 1:00 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Spokane or the Spokane Valley Food Bank.