Mary Josephine “Mary Jo” Kohler, 82, passed away peacefully at Serenity House on Thursday, June 27, 2024 after a lengthy illness. She was surrounded by her loving family.

Mary Jo was born the youngest of five children to Patrick and Josephine Ridge in Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, on July 1, 1941.

In 1943, Mary Jo’s family moved to Anaconda, Montana, where she attended school and met the love of her life Donald “Don” Kohler. They were married on July 6, 1959.

Work was hard to find, so a few months later, they moved to Santa Barbara where Don’s sister Minnie lived. They loved Santa Barbara and would raise their five children here.

Mary Jo was a homemaker for nearly 10 years. She loved working with numbers and began her career as a bookkeeper in the early 1970s, where she worked for Don’s sister Minnie and her then-husband John Doohan’s business.

A few years later, she also started a part-time bookkeeping job with Santa Cruz Markets, where she worked for about 18 years. During tax season, she would also help friends and family members file their taxes.

In her early 20s, Mary Jo began losing her hearing. The hereditary nerve loss affected many members of her family and still does. She learned to accept this disability and communicated by reading lips.

Despite being deaf, she never lost her love of music and dancing. She was able to feel the vibration of the music on the floor and its beat through Don’s hands.

Mary Jo was an avid reader and especially loved John Grisham novels. She was a skilled seamstress and made most of her family’s clothes in the early years. She later took up knitting and crocheting. She was known for making beautiful blankets.

Mary Jo and Don loved to gamble and enjoyed their trips to Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada, with her brother Joe and his wife Dolores. Another favorite pastime was playing cards; she really enjoyed it when money was wagered. Most family gatherings ended in a few rambunctious rounds of card playing. 

Mary Jo was a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was devoted to her Catholic faith, which was instilled in her family and everyday life. Nothing was more important to her than her family and faith.

Christmas was her favorite holiday, and every year she and Don hosted Christmas Eve for their family. It was always a joyous night of food, music, gifts, laughter, and playing cards.

Mary Jo is preceded in death by her loving husband of 64 years Don Kohler; her parents Patrick and Josephine Ridge; sister Anne Shafford; sister and brother-in-law Agnes and Joe Bolkovatz; and sister-in-law Dolores Ridge.

She is survived by her children David Kohler (Mary), Lori Torres (Gilbert), Michael Kohler (Tammy), Cherie Alvarez (Sal), and Joyce McCue; brother Joe Ridge; sister Rose Nyman; and sister-in-law Minnie Neal; grandchildren Kristin Vega (Mark), Michelle Geller (Justin), Craig Kohler (Stefani), Scott Kohler, Kevin Torres, Janelle Weichman (Ryan), Nathan McCue, Steven Kohler, Kylie McCue, Shaylah Alvarez, Savannah Alvarez; and great-grandchildren Lucy, Caden, Jackson, Carson, Daisy, Cole, Mila and Zachary.

A Rosary will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 16 at Holy Cross Church, 1740 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara. A funeral mass will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 17, also at Holy Cross Church. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Mary Jo Kohler can be made to the Hearing Loss Association of America at hearingloss.org.