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MINNEAPOLIS -- Gordon "Gordy" T. Koehler, age 71, died Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, at the Minneapolis VA hospice, with his wife by his side. There will be a military burial in the springtime at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minn.
He was born to Leo and Leone Koehler in Fairmont, Minn. Gordy attended Fairmont High School, graduating with the class of 1969, and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1985. He was a decorated U.S. Army veteran with the First Cavalry (1969-1971) who was awarded a Combat Infantry Badge, two Bronze Stars, Purple Heart, Army Commendation with V for valor, Air Medal for regular and frequent helicopter assaults and single acts of heroism, the Vietnam Service Medal with arrowhead and stars for aerial assaults into combat and multiple campaigns, and the National Defense Service medal for service during war time. He was an adventurer and loved Harley Davidson motorcycles as well as skydiving and scuba diving. He was a skilled scuba diver achieving instructor, ice diving, and rescue certifications and dove the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and The Blue Hole in Belize. He had a love of travel and had been to Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam, Central America, and several countries in Africa including Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. He married Penny Towner in 1992 and they both worked in real estate for many years. They had a hobby farm with horses, cats, and dogs. After retirement in 2009 they moved to their vacation home and enjoyed lake life and several trips prior to his death. His wife, Penny Koehler, loved absolutely everything about him and died just eight days after Gordy. They had two cats and a dog. Gordy was a good soldier, a great husband, and a kind man. Penny had requested memorial contributions in Gordy's honor be made to The Nature Conservancy or Sierra Club.