GLENWOOD, Iowa (KMTV) —
- Ron Kohn was a mayor of Glenwood and county supervisor. Before that, he was a high school teacher, coach and deacon in the Catholic church. Community members say his leadership will be missed after he passed away last Saturday.
- Video shows interviews with family and friends of the late Glenwood Mayor Ron Kohn, photos of Kohn's family and images of city hall and the square in Glenwood, Iowa.
- Funeral information: loesshillsfuneralhome.com/obituary/661653/ron-kohn/
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
This is a tough one for me, personally.
I'm your southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter Katrina Markel and last week Glenwood mayor Ron Kohn passed away. I grew up in Glenwood and so like a lot of people who are from Glenwood, we've known him our whole lives and it's tough to imagine Glenwood without Ron.
Kohn — or Mr. Kohn as many of us know him — was a high school teacher and coach in Glenwood for more than 30 years. As well as a Catholic deacon. In retirement, Kohn decided to start his career in politics. He was elected to the Mills County Board of Supervisors and then Glenwood mayor — supposedly a part-time position.
Joanne Kohn, Ron’s wife: "He made it a full-time job. He went around the county to different organizations or meetings. I saw him at more church dinners and activities, local fundraisers in the community because he said they voted for him, he was going to support them."
A science teacher, Kohn was a "numbers guy."
Glenwood State Bank CEO Larry Winum: "...He really felt like the dollars he was spending wasn't his, it was the taxpayers' and he needed to be responsible with that."
Son Jim says his dad taught by example.
Jim Kohn: "I just learned by following his lead. And that was about everything. Whether he's teaching or coaching or projects around the house."
Councilmember Holly Jackson will miss Kohn's humility and leadership.
"The one thing that was special about Ron, he didn't ask for recognition of anything. He did it because it was the right thing to do. That's an amazing quality to have. We should all be like that."
Faith, integrity, responsibility, kindness, gentleness – these are all words I heard to describe the late Ron Kohn. In Glenwood, Iowa at City Hall. I'm your Southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter, Katrina Markel.
