Charles E. Kohler, Jr.

Charles E. Kohler, Jr. age 93 of Naples, FL and Wayne, NJ, passed away on Sunday, January 16, 2022. He had lived in Wayne since 1959 and also resided in Naples, Florida for twenty-five years. He was a founding member of Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne.

Charlie was born in Paterson and grew up in Union City and later moved to Lyndhurst. After graduating from St. Michael’s High School in Union City, Charlie studied mechanical engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology and served in the U.S. Naval Reserves. He began his career with Gulf Oil Company where, over the next twenty-six years, he developed and perfected his skills in marine sales working in New York.  

While commuting to New York on the train one day early in his career, Charles met an attractive young woman named Ruth Hurley who asked him “Do you have a light?” From the moment he struck that match, their love blossomed. They married on October 4, 1952 at Sacred Heart RC Church in Lyndhurst and enjoyed a honeymoon to Quebec, Montreal, and Niagara Falls. They settled into a small apartment on 2nd Ave in Lyndhurst before moving to Wayne in 1959 and starting a family.

In 1975, Charlie and Ruth started their own company together, Universal Bunker Services, supplying fuel to the shipping and cruise line industry where they worked together until they retired in 1997. After retirement, they moved to Naples, Florida where they enjoyed time with friends, walking the beach, attending concerts, boating and playing golf and tennis.  

They split their time between Naples and Wayne. While spending the summer months in Wayne, they travelled frequently to Europe, the Caribbean and throughout the United States. Charlie and Ruth were avid cruisers and since many of the cruise lines were customers of theirs, they would often receive special accommodations while onboard ship, such as complimentary champagne and dinner with the captain, which made their trips that much more memorable. From the day the met on the train, Charlie and Ruth were inseparable and celebrated sixty-three years as husband and wife before Ruth’s passing in March, 2016.

Even though Charlie spent a lot of time working, he enjoyed various leisure pursuits. His rose garden was a real source of pride and his vegetable garden always yielded a plentiful crop. With his favorite pooch Dusty by his side, he enjoyed working in his woodshop building furniture and intricate model ships. He was a voracious reader of books and the latest news in the major newspapers and, to keep his mind sharp, he was always working on another crossword puzzle. Charlie also loved music and owned several pianos which he loved playing classic musical selections on. A man of the arts, he and Ruth were frequent visitors to various museums, art shows, and concerts. In his years before moving to Florida, Charlie was an active parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne where he served as a CCD teacher, helped out with the church’s annual carnival, and enjoyed getting together with friends for a night of bingo. Since moving to Florida, Charlie and Ruth were parishioners of St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Naples.

Above all else, Charlie was a man who loved being with his family. He was so proud of his grandchildren and was always there to cheer them on at their sporting events and milestone moments in their lives. Whenever he came back to New Jersey, Charlie never missed any of his grandson Andrew’s high school and college baseball games. He was a good provider and, even in their adult years, he was always looking to lend a helping hand. In fact, in his final hours while lying in bed, Charlie said, “What can I do for you?”

Charlie was predeceased by his beloved wife Ruth in 2016. He was the loving father of Ruthann Kohler of Wayne and Chuck Kohler and his wife Janet of Greensboro, GA; cherished grandfather of Chelsey and husband William Huzar, Eric Kohler, and Andrew Kauf; adoring great-grandfather of Madeline; dear brother of Edward Kohler and wife Kathy of Glen Ridge; and dear uncle of Edward Kohler and wife Jessica and the late Kathleen Kohler.

Those planning an expression of sympathy in Charles’ name are asked to consider: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959. You can also donate online by clicking here (www.stjude.org)