Gerald Fred Koenig

September 13, 2011

Gerald Fred Koenig, 85, of Fort Myers, Florida—community servant, entrepreneur, and master of the idiom—went on to his next assignment on September 13, 2011.

A celebration of life service will be held Friday, September 16, at 3 p.m. at Hope Hospice (Community Room), 2430 Diplomat Parkway East, Cape Coral.

Family: Grateful for his insightful guidance, unwavering support, and mischievous humor are Blanche Koenig, his wife of 60 years; and daughters Lisa Reitzel (Roger), Pasadena, California; Julie Hill (Clark), Naples, Florida; and Susan Fisher (Tom), Des Moines, Iowa.

He was a source of wise counsel—and always great fun—to grandchildren Clark Hill, Jr.; Martha and Eleanor Reitzel; and Emma, Elizabeth, and Tom Fisher. He is also survived by his twin brother, Harold P. Koenig (Barbara), Melbourne, Fla., niece Kim, and grand-nephew and grand-niece Joey and Libby.

Community Service: Until just months ago, Gerald was President of Wake Up America of Southwest Florida, Inc. The nonprofit, all-volunteer organization provides food and other goods from suppliers and redistributes them to local social service agencies. As he said so proudly, "We get it for free and we give it away for free."

His work with Wake Up America began in 1999. During his tenure the agency established its distribution center on Central Avenue. He was awed and inspired by—and deeply grateful to—the many dedicated volunteers who devoted their time, talents, and resources to serving those in need.

Gerald was a Life Member of Lions Clubs International, serving as an Iowa District Governor and Chairman of the Council of District Governors, and was a Melvin Jones Fellow. He was a Life Member of the Elks Club, a member of the United Methodist Church and Veterans of Foreign Wars, and an affiliate of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.

Idioms: He had a time-tested expression for every occasion. Among the pithiest were the oft-repeated “Guard lest the eye be bigger than the stomach” (a favorite at buffets), “It’s a long road that doesn’t have a turn,” “If you’re gonna play in the band, you’ve gotta toot the horn,” “Nowhere to go and all day to get there” (directed at the occasional driver ahead), and the ever-popular “Well, this isn’t the home of sudden service.”

Early Life/Education: Gerald and his slightly older twin brother, Harold—sons of Reuben Koenig, DDS, and Mrs. Dorothea Koenig of Charles City, Iowa—spent their prank-filled boyhood (startling milk-cart horses to empty the wagon, etc.) in Charles City, Iowa. Following his service in World War II, he earned a degree in Business Administration from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa.

Military Service: Gerald enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II, reporting for duty the day after graduating from high school. Schooled in sonar, he was sent to New Guinea and eventually to the Philippines where he served in the Civil Affairs Division. There he put his Eagle Scout skills to work helping restore civilian order by re-establishing Boy Scout troops that had been disbanded as the war progressed.

Career: An after-school job washing milk cans for the Hutchinson Ice Cream Company grew into a post-college career in the dairy business. He joined Borden Ice Cream Company after graduation and rose from salesman to branch manager in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Opportunity met preparation when he took advantage of the city’s central-U.S. location and established a frozen-food warehouse business. Clients at Kold Storage, Inc. (“K” for Koenig) included an array of nationally known food processors.

Memorials: Donations can be made to Wake Up America of Southwest Florida, Inc., P.O. Box 1654, Fort Myers FL 33902.

As Gerald would surely say, “I’m just along for the ride.”

Arrangements under the direction of National Cremation & Burial Society, North Fort Myers, FL.