Don Scott Kahler

Don Scott Kahler, 94, passed away peacefully on Father's Day, June 16, 2024 after a lengthy struggle with heart disease with his daughter, Lynn Elaine Kahler (Rogerson Shirey) holding his hand.

Born on October 11, 1929 in Davenport, IA, the elder son of Harold Albert Kahler and Bernice Faye Leidigh Kahler, he moved to Oklahoma City at age 6. After playing trombone in the marching and concert bands, participating in the Math Honors program, and graduating early from Classen High School in 1946, he attended Oklahoma University in Norman, where he majored in Chemical Engineering, was in Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, was a member of the Acacia Fraternity, was active in band and Sr. ROTC.  His excellent grades earned him the sobriquet "Big Man on Campus." 

During this senior year at OU in 1949 Don met Betty Lou Dennis at a school mixer and was "blown away!"  Later that year he received a job offer from the Dow Chemical Company and, following his graduation in 1950, moved to south Texas to begin his 50-year service with Dow in Process Engineering. A month before Don and Betty were married on October 17, 1951 in Tulsa, OK, Don had been called into military service, so the newlyweds moved to Fort Belvoir, VA for Don's military training. He served in Korea with the US Army Corps of Engineers, and received an Honorable Discharge as a First Lieutenant in June 1953 after which the happy couple moved to Lake Jackson, TX, which they called home for over 50 years.   The couple's only child, Lynn Elaine Kahler was born in 1954 and the family attended Chapelwood United Methodist Church.  Don was an active member of the Masons, receiving the Degree of Chevalier and the Order of DeMolay. In 1957 Don moved from Dow’s magnesium production to supervise its chlorine plant and 18 years later, as a chlorine specialist, was transferred to Salvador, Brazil to build a new plant. There, the couple immersed themselves in the country's art, culture and language.

After Don's subsequent Dow postings sent the family to Stade, Germany and Bahia Blanca, Argentina, he retired from Dow in 2000 and he and Betty moved to Williamsburg, VA to be nearer their daughter's family and only grandchild, Olivia Kingsley Rogerson, born in 1998. Caring for their granddaughter in the summers involved them in her swim team, horseback riding and piano activities. They were active in Wellsprings Methodist Church and took part in their daughter's passion for Packard automobiles, joining the Old Dominion Packard Club and participating in many tours (one of the Packards in which the family toured belonged to Betty’s father). Betty, Don's wife of 61 years died at home in 2012, and in 2021 Don moved to Alexandria, VA to be even closer to his daughter and her family. 

Mr. Kahler is survived by his daughter, Lynn Kahler Rogerson Shirey and son-in-law Dr. Steven Bottome Shirey; his granddaughter Olivia Kingsley Rogerson; his niece Cynthia Kahler Carman; his nephew Michael Kahler; his great niece Rene Zerfas; and a wealth of dear friends. He was preceded in death by:  grandparents Scott Leidigh and Addie Boch Leidigh; parents; uncle Roy Leidigh; and younger brother Philip Gene Kahler.

The Memorial Service is scheduled for Saturday, August 3, 2024 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 228 S Pitt St., Alexandria, VA at 11:00AM. Donations in memory of Don may be made to Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA 24595.