Ronald Charles Kohls, resident of Jackson, MI, passed away peacefully while in hospice at Brightside Manor on the afternoon of August 25, 2021. He was 87 years old.
Ron’s wife, Jan Kohls, preceded him in passing on July 24, 2019.
Ron was born May 8, 1934 in Lansing, MI. He attended public schools in East Lansing and Okemos and attained a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree from Michigan State University in 1956.
Ron and Jan were married in 1955 and raised four children mostly in the Jackson area.
During the 1960s, Ron was a reporter with the Jackson Citizen Patriot and as the managing editor of the Herald Leader in Menominee, MI. He later worked as head of public relations for Jackson Community College and as personnel director at Hoffman Industries in Spring Arbor.
In 1975, Ron and Jan purchased the Jackson County Legal News. The couple published the paper for the next 30 years. During this time they also launched a number of other publications as well as an informational services destination, “FaxPlus,” located at Jackson Crossing. Ron and Jan retired in 2005.
Ron is survived by his loving children, David, Brian, Rhonda, and Greg and their significant others, and by his four beloved grandchildren, Sidney, Brian, Greta, and Matthew.
The family wishes to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at Brightside Manor for their wonderful care of Ron over the past three years.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday September 12, at the First Congregational Church in downtown Jackson. Visitation, also at the church, precedes the service beginning at 12:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the Michigan Opera Theater at michiganopera.org.
