Kenneth David Stohler

Kenneth David " Dave" Stohler, 73, of Markleville, passed away on November 17, 2016 at the St. Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital, Indianapolis. He was born on June 2, 1943 at the family home in Markleville, and resided all of his life in Markleville. He attended Markleville schools where he participated in baseball, track and basketball..He graduated in 1961. After graduation, he went to work at Delco Remy Division of General Motors in the fall of 1961. While at Delco, he started as an hourly employee, then was a salaried supervisor in Plant 7 and Plant 20. After 24 years as a supervisor, he returned to an hourly employee and retired on January 1, 1997. On February 22, 1963, he married his high school sweetheart, Sheralyn (Pate) Stohler. They have been married 53 years. They built their home in Markleville where they continued to live until his death. They were blessed with two sons, Thad and Trent. During this time, he coached Little League baseball and basketball. For many years he was a IHSAA official around central Indiana. As the boys got older, he attended all their sporting events. He loved to support his grandson Riley's sporting events from preschool into college. He was an avid sports fan, having attended the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the 1987 and 2001 Final Four to watch his beloved Indiana Hoosiers. He also attended numerous Pacers, Reds, and Colts games. In 1946, his father, Leo Stohler built race cars for the Little 500. This is when Dave developed his love of racing. He started attending numerous auto racing events across the country. His love of racing changed to Standardbred racing in 1978, after the death of his father. Dave became a member of the United States Trotting Association in 1979. It was a trip to the county fair in Connersville, where he and his brother, Merrill became horse owners. While working full time at his regular job, Dave trained and raced horses on the side. His best performer was Extreme Velocity, winner of the 1997 Breeders Crown. For Dave, the best thing about the Standardbred industry was the fact it is so family oriented. He was able to share his passion for harness racing with his family and friends. His son, Trent, is an active trainer based in Indiana. Helping at his son's training center and watching his horses compete on the racetrack filled Dave's life with joy and satisfaction, as he was proud of his son's achievements. Dave is survived by his loving spouse, Sheralyn (Pate) Stohler of Markleville; sons, Thad of Terre Haute, Trent of Markleville; grandson, Riley Stohler; sister, Virginia (Stohler) Bronnenberg; brother, Merrill (Sharon) Stohler; sister-in-law, Mary Jo Stohler, brother-in-law, Gary Pate. Many beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Agnes and Leo Stohler, brothers, Marvin, Herbert, Bud, and sister-in-law, Marie Stohler. The family would like to give a "Special Thank You" to the friends and relatives helping care for Dave during this difficult time. Visitation will be held Monday, November 21, 2016, 3:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Loose Funeral Homes & Crematory, 200 West 53rd St. Anderson. Services will be Tuesday, November 22, 2016, 11:30 am at the funeral home, with Rev. Ned Clark officiating. Burial will take place in the Mechanicsburg Cemetery, Mechanicsburg. Memorial Contributions may be made to The Harness Horse Youth Foundation, 16575 Carey Road, Westfield, IN 46074, or New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, 3293 Wright Road, Laura, OH 45337. www.loosecares.com

Kenneth David Stohler

June 2, 1943 - November 17, 2016