Gary Gene Poehls

Gary "Butch" "Pedro" "Buckets" Poehls was born June 9, 1945, to Ruth (Jesse) and Jerry Poehls. He attended school in Sturgeon Bay and graduated from Sturgeon Bay High School in 1963, where he excelled as a student and a talented 3 sport athlete. He enrolled at UW- Whitewater briefly before enlisting in the US Air Force. Upon completing his military assignment, he returned to Sturgeon Bay and worked at Peterson Ship Building, saving money for his return to college. A crushing industrial accident at work led to many months spent at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay, where he met his future wife, Jeannie Schmitz, who was working as a physical therapist. Together Gary and Jeannie worked to regain Gary's independence, grew their relationship, and eventually married on June 10, 1972. Gary graduated with an accounting degree from UW-Green Bay in 1975 and worked as a tax accountant until he retired in 2020. Following retirement, until mobility became an issue for him, he liked to say he "worked" at St. Vincent as a patient escort, accompanying patients from registration to their destination in the hospital. Gary had many special interests over the years, including annual deer hunting trips with high school friends, open water and ice fishing, and golfing, but most of all, he thoroughly enjoyed being a dad and grandpa to his 2 children and 5 grandchildren that he shares with Jeannie.

Gary is survived by his wife of 51 years, Jeannie; their two children, Amy (Mike) Rader, DePere, WI and Karl Poehls, Atlanta, GA; Grandchildren: Michael Jr, Matthew, Molly, Maxwell and Andrew Rader; treasured grand-dog Leo; mother-in-law, Midge Ebben, DePere, WI, and brother, Larry Page, Two Rivers, WI. He is further survived by sisters and brothers in law on Jeannie's side of the family, many nieces and nephews, and lifelong friends Mike and Barb Chisholm, Sturgeon Bay, WI and Dave and Mary DeMelle, Green Bay, WI. Gary was preceded in death by his parents, Ruth and Jerry Poehls, sister Karen Royce and brother Bruce Page, and father-in-law Richard Schmitz.

In accordance with Gary's wishes, the family celebrated Gary's life with a private funeral. His ashes will be placed in spots he selected that were special to him at a future date. In lieu of flowers and other expressions of sympathy, please consider a donation to the Schmitz- Poehls Family Scholarship at Notre Dame Academy, 610 Maryhill Drive, Green Bay, WI 54303, where Gary's children and grandchildren attended high school.

The family would like to extend special thanks to staffs at the McCormick Home, Odd Fellows Rehabilitation Center, St. Vincent Hospital (especially his nurse Jena) and Unity Hospice for their compassionate care of Gary.