Dan Koehler

Dan Koehler of Waukesha, WI passed away on Sunday, February 27. He was 64 years old. He is survived by his daughter Cassandra (Mike) Bergemann and Peter (Samantha) Koehler, and was the loving grandfather of Hadley and Graham Bergemann, and Cole Koehler. He is survived by his brother and sisters, Richard (Ann) Koehler, Kathy (Larry) Bruckner and Mary (Tom) Klein. He’s also survived by many nieces, nephews, other relatives and dear friends. Dan was preceded in death by his parents, Edwin and Carol Koehler. An amateur astronomer his entire adult life, Dan left the corporate world in 2015 to work at Yerkes Observatory as its first Director of Tours and Special Programs. As his first task in the new job, he opened the 40-inch refractor for evening viewing, making it the third largest telescope in the world available for public observing. It was a dream fulfilled. He returned to graduate school in 2019 to pursue a master’s degree in History with a certificate in Museum Studies, to further his passion for nonprofit and educational pursuits. It was through this program and his passion for astronomy that he spent his last years working with a number of nonprofit organizations, including the Kettle Moraine Land Trust, Rock County Historical Society and NWA Space & Science Center. The family will be holding a memorial in the spring at a place close to his heart, Yerkes Observatory. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Yerkes Future Foundation.