Ohio Northern University graduate Raymond “Ray” Richard Kohli, 93, died June 18, 2019.
Ray surivors include his wife of 70 years, Alice (Meyer); children, Debra (Douglas) Goare, Beverly (Michael) Geyer, Gary (Linda) Kohli, and Todd (Katie) Kohli, grandchildren, Alexander (Jordan) Goare, Austin (Kellie) Goare, Dr. Stephanie Goare (Kevin Sprang), Ashley (Brian) Chrencik, Kerri Geyer, Tyler Kohli, and Kyle Kohli, and five great-grandchildren, Brycen, Jaxton, Avery, Kensington, and Graham, nephews, Robert (Anita) Kison, Eugene (Betty) Kohli, and Robert (Donna) Kohli.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ina Alice (Roberts) Kohli and James Brice Kohli, siblings, Orlando (Helen), Charles (Billie), Nolan (Dorothy), Lenore (Roy) Kison, and Donna (Lowell) Boothby.
Ray was born in Lima, Ohio, on May 20, 1926. He moved to Bluffton in second grade with his family to a 40-acre farm. He graduated in 1944 from Bluffton High School.
He was drafted into World War II and took basic training at Camp Fannin in Tyler, Texas.
He received a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and Surveying from Ohio Northern University. His career began at the State of Ohio Department of Transportation in Lima, in 1951.
In 1963, he was appointed as Allen County Engineer and later won re-election to continue his role.
In 1974, he moved his family to Columbus and became the Director of Public Works and Assistant Deputy Director of Administrative Services.
He was a past president of the County Engineers Association of Ohio, past president of Fraternal Order of Police Associates, past president of Metropolitan Kiwanis Club of Lima, member of Elks Club, Eagles, and Shawnee Country club.
His funeral will be held at St. Paul Catholic Church, 313 N. State St., Westerville, on July 1. There will be a visitation from 10 a.m to noon. Mass will be held at noon with a procession to the cemetery to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org) or St. Paul Catholic Church (stpaulcatholicchurch.org).
Arrangements are handled by Schoedinger Funeral and Creation Services, Columbus.
