Albert Nicholas Koesters Sr

Born on October 16, 1937, in Earling, Iowa, Al lived a life defined by hard work and an extraordinary spirit of adventure. Al married Patricia Lehotyak on November 14, 1959 in Omaha, Nebraska. They lived over the service station Al managed until he was drafted. During the course of their marriage they had seven children.

Al was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1960 and served until September 1962. His military service took him to Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks, Alaska. Alaska was a place he grew to love deeply and returned to visit many times throughout his life.

Al returned to Omaha, Nebraska after serving in the army and began a long career with the Metropolitan Utilities District (M.U.D.) as a mechanic, working there until his retirement as a supervisor in 1998. Al was a passionate advocate for his fellow workers, standing alongside his colleagues to help establish a union with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). He proudly served as union president for many years.

In 1972, he and Pat purchased 65 acres of land outside of Crescent, Iowa. Over the next couple of years, they built a home and small family farm. Al was a true farmer by day and a mechanic by night for many years. He was a self-taught jack-of-all-trades who could fix absolutely anything—a talent and passion he maintained right up until his death. Alongside his love for fixing things, Al harbored a lifelong passion for airplanes and the freedom of flying and obtained a small plane pilot’s license. His children fondly remember fly-in pancake breakfasts around Iowa and Nebraska.

Upon his retirement in 1998, Al fully embraced a life of open-road and open-sea adventure. He bought a fifth-wheel trailer and spent the next 25-plus years traveling back and forth across the United States and up to Alaska. He connected with many cousins in Canada and elsewhere in the world while travelling. Al fulfilled a lifelong dream of traveling to all seven continents. He was a famous cruiser, in fact, his last cruise was a trip around the world taking 4 months to complete in 2025!

Above all, Al’s greatest pride was his vast family legacy. He was the father of seven children, 17 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. He remembered each one on their birthday and Christmas and was always up for a family reunion or get together.

Albert is survived by his close friend of many years, Lucia Butler (Arcadia, Louisiana), his children, Margaret Varlamos (Don), John Koesters (Diane), Mary Sheridan (Sean), Cindy Shaff, Albert Koesters, Jr. (Lisa), Kathleen Tiaden (Kevin) and his siblings, Jerry Koesters (Arizona), Ruth Graeve (Texas), Mary Jane Leistra (Nebraska), Linda Weiland (Texas) and Denny Koesters (Texas). His son, Michael (Linda) predeceased him in 2013.

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Services and Remembrances

Celebration of Life

Per Albert's request, a Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, August 9th, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Come and share a meal, stories and have one last round on Al!

• Location: Elks Lodge #39, 6410 S 96th St, Omaha, NE 68127

• Phone: 402-339-3557

Viewing and Rosary

A public viewing will be held on Monday, August 10th, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with a rosary service beginning at 6:30 PM.

• Location: Westlawn-Hillcrest Funeral Home, 5701 Center St, Omaha, NE 68106

• Phone: 402-556-2500

Funeral Mass & Luncheon

The Funeral Mass will take place on Tuesday, August 11th, at 10:00 AM. A luncheon will immediately follow the service at the church.

• Location: Saint Gerald Catholic Church, 9602 Q St, Omaha, NE 68127

• Phone: 402-331-1955

Burial

For those wishing to attend, the burial will take place in Al's hometown following the church luncheon Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 2pm .

• Location: Saint Joseph's Cemetery, 1913 Road M16, Earling, IA 51530

• Phone: 712-747-2091

Memorial Contributions

If you would like to give a gift to one of Albert's favorite charities, we suggest:

• Elks Lodge #39 Omaha, NE

• Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church 810 Carey Ave, Ruston, LA 71270 Phone: 318-255-2870