Nov. 9, 2021

The Seneca community is mourning the death of Seneca donor and honorary degree recipient Rudy Koehler, who died on Nov. 8 at the age of 87. Mr. Koehler and his wife Rita are the most generous individual benefactors in Seneca’s history.

Mr. and Ms. Koehler’s connection to Seneca began in 2003 with their granddaughters, Rita and Andrea, both of whom are graduates. Their positive experience as students led to Mr. and Ms. Koehler to approach Seneca about establishing the Koehler Grandchildren Endowment, now one of our largest.

Since then, almost 1,000 students have received bursaries funded by the Koehler family through their various awards, including the Koehler Grandchildren Award, the Koehler Award for Academic Upgrading Graduates and Koehler Family Student Success Scholarship.

“Rudy overcame enormous obstacles in his life to become successful in business and family life,” said President David Agnew. “With Rita, he was determined to give back. His embrace of philanthropy has benefitted thousands, and we are grateful that has included many, many Seneca students.”

Over the years, Mr. and Ms. Koehler always took the time to visit Seneca’s campuses, meet their award recipients and celebrate their successes. The joy they felt in helping students was clear to all who met them. 

In 2015, Seneca paid tribute to Mr. and Ms. Koehler with an honorary degree, and in 2019, the library and learning centre at Magna Hall was named the Rudy and Rita Koehler Library.

The Koehlers’ generosity is as wide as it is deep. They have supported several charities in education, the arts and social services across Canada. Caring for others became a priority early in life for Mr. Koehler.

As a boy living in Germany, he would sneak out into the cold night to cut down trees for firewood. It was forbidden to do so, but his family needed heat. He was an orphan, often going to bed hungry, and he had lost two brothers to war. After briefly living in the custody of his sisters, Mr. Koehler ended up in foster care. He was apprenticing as a machinist when he met Ms. Koehler, who worked in retail.

Mr. and Mrs. Koehler left Germany in 1956 with a 14-month-old son and a five-year plan to succeed in Canada. Mr. Koehler was a lifelong student of mechanical engineering who challenged conventional thinking, always working to improve business practices and develop quality products.

He would retire as the President of Innotech Precision Inc., a leading supplier of precision plastic components for injection molds and integrated production systems. Mr. Koehler also served as the president of Noma Lights Canada Ltd. and deputy chairman of Noma Industries Ltd.

“We came from nothing, and because of that, Rita and I believe in giving,” Mr. Koehler once said. “There is no better feeling. Our actions are founded on three simple values: love, share and give.”

Watch this tribute video from 2015 celebrating the Koehler’s honorary degree.