Operated dog rescue nonprofit in Beaver County for 20 years
Richard Raymond Kohl was one of those people who couldn’t turn their back on starving, abused or neglected animals.
And he didn’t just talk the talk.
For 20 years, Mr. Kohl and his wife, Noreen, have operated Gentle Ben’s Giant Breed Rescue — a nonprofit organization based at the couple’s New Sewickley, Beaver County, home that provides a foster home and medical care for homeless large-breed dogs.
And it was those beloved dogs that surrounded Mr. Kohl on Thursday, when he died at age 56 after a yearlong battle with a rare adrenal cancer.
“His special girl was right by his side when he passed,” said his wife about one of his favorite pets, a 4-year-old Great Dane named Sophie. “When they took him away, she went to every room in the house looking for him. It was so sad. She was by his side the whole time he was sick.”
Although he was recently hospitalized, Mr. Kohl was able to return home on July 14 to celebrate the couple’s 26th wedding anniversary.
“It’s very hard to find another person with so many of the same interests,” Mrs. Kohl said.
“He was devoted to the dog rescue, and he was as involved and loved it as much as I do.”
Mr. Kohl also had a passion for muscle cars and collected Corvettes, including the 1967 model that he and his late father, Raymond Kohl, rebuilt together when he was a senior at North Hills High School.
“He and his dad worked together countless hours to fix that car up and we still have that car,” Mrs. Kohl said.
“Rich could build or fix anything,” she recalled. “He liked to buy rusted cars and fix them back up, and one time he bought a Sunbird for me — he actually cut the car in half and rebuilt it. I drove that car for seven years without one problem.”
“Grud,” as he was affectionately nicknamed by his father, grew up in Ross and earned a bachelor’s degree in business from La Roche College in 1982.
He also attended vocational school and became a sheet metal worker — a job he held for 30 years with Penn Perry Inc. — before retiring a year ago.
The Kohls began rescuing dogs shortly after they were married, with a primary mission to find new homes for abandoned dogs, such as mastiffs, St. Bernards or Great Danes, that might end up in shelters. They are currently caring for 19 dogs.
The couple were in the news a few years ago, when New Sewickley officials said they could no longer operate the rescue because of zoning restrictions. A court order later reversed the decision.
Along with his wife, Mr. Kohl is survived by his mother, Ann Regina “Jean” Kohl of Ross; two sisters, Mary Beth Galbraith and Jennifer Walko; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial for Mr. Kohl is planned on Saturday at a previously scheduled fundraiser — the second annual “Big Hogs for Big Dogs,” from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Robert’s Roadside Inn, 1020 Sharon Road, in Beaver.
For details about the memorial fundraiser or to donate to the organization, visit the group’s Facebook page or its website, www.gentlebensgiants.org. Donations may also be sent to: Gentle Ben’s Giant Breed Rescue, P.O. Box 533, Zelienople, PA 16063.