Peter Koelsch
Peter Irving Koelsch, 91, of Sandusky, passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 2, 2022.
Pete was born in 1931, in Maumee, Ohio, to Sylvester “Wes” and Loretta (Brahier) Koelsch. He was the youngest of five children, and moved with his family to Sandusky when he was four years old.
Pete spent much of his youth working as a caddie at nearby Mills Creek Golf Course, and practicing his game. He eventually went on to win the Sandusky City Golf Championship four times and the Erie County Golf Championship once. He has been inducted into the Sandusky High School Athletic Hall of Fame twice, first for the Boy’s Golf Team State Championship in 1947, and second as an individual for his four years of excellence.
After graduating from Sandusky High School, Pete took a job at Hinde & Dauch Paper Company. He started work there designing packaging and displays and eventually moved to their outside sales team. He was President of the Sphinx Club.
He was a Korean War Veteran. He took his basic training in Hawaii in 1951, and attended Clerk Typist School. He was then stationed at Camp Atterbury in Indiana where he was a procurement clerk.
After returning to Sandusky after his honorable discharge from the Army, he went back to Hinde & Dauch, eventually working for them for a total of 13 years. In 1962, he took a position with Kaufman Container Company in Cleveland, as their Northwestern Ohio salesman. Pete worked for Kaufman 37 years, retiring in 1999. He was President of The Chemical & Allied Industries of Northwest Ohio.
Peter was a member of the American Legion, and a 67-year, lifetime member of the Elks Club, where he was Club Manager in 1969 and 1970. He is a member of the Sandusky Lodge #285 Elks Hall of Fame. He was the Program chairman for many years of the Senior Men’s Fellowship Club.
Pete first met the love of his life, Shirley Ann (Dahm), at Mills Creek when they were teens. Many years later, on Oct. 3, 1958, they married. They soon started a family and had four children together. They were very active socially and made many wonderful lifelong friends. Pete and Shirley did a lot of traveling, enjoying time with friends and family. They were married 43 years.
Pete enjoyed reading and spending time with friends at the Elks, and with his cherished friends and neighbors, Steve, Gail, Ryan, Ali (Brady), and Kyle Finn, but there was nothing he loved more than spending time with his family. There was nothing he would not do for them. He was a friend and mentor and the most amazing father and grandfather to all of them. He laughed wholeheartedly when sharing horrible dad jokes and riddles with them. He began each day with a good morning text to his kids, complete with the number of days he had lived so far; on day 33,339, his journey ended.
Peter is survived by his children, Lori, Ted (Victoria), and Andy; grandchildren, Griffin, Marty, Augusta, Scarlet, and Wesley.
He was preceded in death by his beautiful wife, Shirley, and their daughter, Jane Ann; his parents, and siblings Dick, Don, Norma, and Arline.
Friends may call on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Groff Funeral Homes & Crematory, 1607 E. Perkins Ave., Sandusky. Funeral services will be held in the funeral home on Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 10:00 am. Deacon Phil Dinovo will officiate. Burial will follow in Oakland Cemetery, Sandusky. A luncheon gathering will be held from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm at the Sandusky Elks Lodge, 120 E. Adams St., Sandusky.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate any donations be made to Holy Angels Church, 428 Tiffin Ave., Sandusky, OH 44870 or to PanCAN (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network), 1500 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 or by visiting https://www.pancan.org.