Werner R. Koester, 89
Sept 15, 1923 – Jan 4, 2013
Our beloved father, husband, grandfather and uncle left this earth early Friday morning – Jan. 4, 2013. He died in peace at Kootenai Medical Center receiving quality medical care from the nursing and support staff.
In 1951, Werner emigrated to the United States from Germany, a country that was completely destroyed after World War II. As a Luftwaffe fighter pilot, he encountered many close calls with death.
In 1954, Werner married Ilse Harder in Watertown, Wis. A young family was created within a few years' time with the birth of Irene (1955) and John (1957). Werner saw a future in electrical engineering and pursued a degree at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. This provided him a strong foundation that led to executive management positions in Asia, Europe and here in the U.S. Werner and Ilse moved frequently within the United States and across other continents. Before retiring in Idaho in 1993, Werner and Ilse had resided in 15 different homes and locations. Werner was always resilient in his approach to living; the past was unimportant if it didn’t help with solving future problems. His focus was always on the future and how to solve problems.
Although business was a large part of his life, he became involved in different activities such as golfing, sailing, chess, bridge, cruising, motorhome traveling and his love of dogs. Werner truly enjoyed life and tried to squeeze everything possible into his 89 years on this earth.
After the death of Ilse in April 2010, Werner remarried Anita Irwin in 2012 and continued to enjoy all that life offers. We will all miss Werner and are grateful that he touched the lives of so many family members and friends. He led a truly rich life and in turn enriched the lives of those around him.
Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m. until the funeral service at 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, at the English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d'Alene. Reception will follow the service at the funeral chapel.
Visit Werner's online memorial at www.englishfuneralchapel.com