Gary Eugene Koehler was born on September 26, 1951, at Eben Ezer Hospital in Brush, Colorado, to Albert E. Koehler and Carolyn J. (McCord) Koehler. He passed away on October 2, 2024, in Aurora, Colorado, from complications of a brain bleed.

Gary was the first of three children born to Albert and Carolyn. He was raised on the farm in Hillrose, Colorado. He grew up with a love for animals, always having a soft spot for them and farm life. Growing up, He spent many hours on road trips to fish, swim, and enjoy the outdoors with his parents and siblings. Many fun weekends were spent at Prewitt Lake.

Gary graduated from Brush High School in 1969. He was drafted into the Army and stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1971. He later was stationed at Fort Ord in California where he was a chauffeur until being released to reserves in 1972, where he remained until March of 1977 when he was officially discharged.

On June 9, 1973, Gary married Shirley Dresen of Yuma, Colorado. They settled in Brush and in 1976, their only child, Angie, was born. They divorced in 1978.

On December 24, 1981, Gary married Marilyn Cheney of Brush. To this union, Marilyn brought her son, Anthony. They settled in the Holyoke, Colorado area.

He enjoyed over-the-road trucking and soon longed for the open road and a CB radio in hand. Gary and Marilyn traveled together as Gary worked for various companies. Farming brought him back to Hillrose for a while in the early 80s, but 18 wheels and the road called to him.

In 1986, he and Marilyn moved to the Phoenix, Arizona area to pursue more opportunities. He drove semi for Great Western Produce and later with a large grocery store chain, Bashas'. Gary worked for Bashas' until his retirement. For the next few years, Gary and Marilyn were snowbirds and traveled with their fifth-wheel trailer. They lived in Arizona but returned to Colorado during the hotter months to spend time with family and get relief from the heat. In 2015, they again made Brush their home to be closer to Gary's parents.

He loved the Denver Broncos, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns. While he cheered on the sports teams from Arizona while living there, he always remained a true Denver fan. His home and cars were always decorated with Denver Broncos memorabilia.

Gary liked to stay active while enjoying a variety of hobbies. He liked to stay busy. He took pride in his yard, his pool, and his vehicles. He liked to fix things and rarely gave up until he solved the problem at hand. Gary was competitive and good at everything he tried, including pool, darts, bowling, and growing his garden. He loved to cook and spent many hours creating and refining recipes with his mom and brother in his mom's kitchen. Gary most loved spending time with family, particularly his parents.

Gary was the kind of guy who could be best friends with you five minutes after meeting you and was a devoted friend to many. He always had a smile for the employees at every store on his route, at the local watering hole and anywhere else he went.

Gary was a very proud dad and Papa, always telling others about Angie and Anthony's achievements and how proud he was of them and his grandchildren. His first grandchild, Jetta, was born in 1998 and was soon followed by Kris. Garrett and Brevin followed in 2002 and 2003, respectively, and Amanda, Jac, and Aaron rounded out the bunch.

Gary was preceded in death by his mother, Carolyn, his grandparents, Deane and Thelma Maurine (Hines) McCord and John and Pauline (Leis) Koehler, and one aunt, (Beatrice) Carol Franklin. Left to mourn his passing are his dad, Albert; his aunt Delores of Arizona; his wife of 42 years, Marilyn; daughter, Angie and children Jetta and Brevin of Parker, Colorado; stepson Anthony Cheney (Mary) and children Kris, Garrett, Amanda, Jac and Aaron of San Antonio, Texas; sister Jodeen Koehler of Brush, Colorado; and brother Kim Koehler of Fort Morgan, Colorado along with many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

A Memorial Service will be held Friday, October 18, 2024, at 10:00 AM at Immanuel Congregational Church in Brush, followed by inurnment at Brush Memorial Cemetery.