Three local organizations will benefit from a nearly $5 million legacy which has been gifted by lifelong Marshfield resident Richard Kohl, who passed away January 18 at age 90.
The Columbus Education Foundation, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, and Our Lady of Peace Parish are recipients. The unexpected gift totals nearly $2.5 million for Columbus Catholic Schools, $1.7 million for Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, and over $735,000 for Our Lady of Peace Parish.
Kohl’s gift to Marshfield Clinic Research Institute will help advance important priority research areas, including trauma, infectious disease, precision medicine and life-threatening diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
For Our Lady of Peace and Columbus Catholic Schools, the gift will help build infrastructure that will serve parish members, students and education programs. “Mr. Kohl was a faithful steward,” said Ron Wilczek, Our Lady of Peace finance council chair. “His generous legacy gift provides resources that will help the church continue its ministry for generations to come.”
“Mr. Kohl’s gift will benefit two separate parts of the Columbus Education Foundation,” said David Eaton, JD, Columbus Catholic Schools president. “The larger portion of his bequest will support the Oster Fund of the Columbus Education Foundation, which helps to cover general operating costs. This will allow us greater freedom in creativity for planning improvements. His gift will also benefit the CEF Scholarship Fund, which offers scholarships given to graduating seniors and to students returning to our schools. The gift to the scholarship fund will help us continue a tradition of generous tuition assistance that makes it possible for any student to attend our schools, regardless of the family’s ability to cover tuition costs.”
Kohl was born July 25, 1927 in Marshfield and graduated from Marshfield High School in 1945. He served in the Navy during WWII between Japan and Hong Kong and afterwards attended the University of Wisconsin and Stevens Point Teacher College, beginning a lifelong career in banking before retiring in 1992.
Active in community organizations, Kohl was a member of the Elks Club, Serra Club, Knights of Columbus and Fourth Degree Assembly, and Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church. Friends of Kohl described him as an unassuming, kind and faith-filled individual who sought to help others.
