Anthony Kohnke Jr.'s Obituary
Tony Kohnke Jr, age 88, of Oshkosh, passed away peacefully with his loving wife by his side on Sunday, April 26th, 2026, at Ascension Mercy Hospital. Tony dealt with Dementia/Alzheimer’s for years with the support of his loving family by his side. He was born on September 9th, 1937, in Oshkosh, the son of Anthony and Kathryn (Schuhart) Kohnke.
Tony married the love of his life and high school sweetheart, Nancy Haildlinger, on August 29th, 1959, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Oshkosh. Together, they were blessed with 66 years of marriage. Tony worked at and retried from Oshkosh Truck after 43 years. He served in the Army National Guard and was activated during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was a member of Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Parish (Saint Mary’s Site).
Tony was an avid bowler and softball pitcher and was inducted into both the Oshkosh bowling and softball hall of fame. He especially enjoyed the camaraderie and friendships that he formed throughout the years. He took pride in being a team player. Tony also enjoyed golfing, fishing, gardening, and family trips to Door County and Wisconsin Dells. He was a dedicated Wisconsin sports fan and enjoyed watching the Brewers, Bucks, Packers, and Badgers. Although he had many passions and interests, one of his favorites was traveling to Las Vegas and going on bus trips with family and friends to gamble.
The most important thing in Tony’s life was his family, as he was a devoted husband, father, grandfather “Boompa”, and great grandfather. Tony and Nancy enjoyed attending their children's, grandchildren's, and great grandchild’s sporting events, band concerts, choir concerts, and plays. The Kohnke family loves to find any excuse to get together to celebrate, eat good food, play cards, and laugh, and Tony loved it all!
Left to treasure Tony’s memory is his loving wife Nancy, their children Linda (Mark S) Hable, Scott Kohnke, Debra (Steven) Guenther, Paul (Renee) Kohnke, and Kris (Edward) Norman. He is also survived by his 6 grandchildren, Justin Hable, Meghan (Isaac) Archer, Jacob Kohnke, Anna (Randy) Tunstall, Brendan (Tami) Guenther, and McKenna Guenther. Tony’s great grandchildren include Nikolai and River Archer and Tommy and Gabriel Tunstall. He is also survived by his brother’s life partner, Ronald Thrash.
He was preceded in death by his parents, younger brother Bruce Kohnke, father-in-law and mother-in-law Alois and Dorothy Haidlinger, sister-in-law and brother-in-law Susan and James Grant, niece Terri (Grant) Texeira, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
Tony will be remembered as someone who truly lived life to the fullest-someone who loved deeply, laughed often, and left a lasting mark on everyone who knew him. He had an exceptional sense of humor, as he loved to laugh and make others laugh. His spirit will live on in the stories shared and the lives he touched so profoundly.
The family would like to recognize and thank the dedicated health professionals who provided compassionate care at Ascension Mercy Hospital during Tony’s extended hospital stay.
A visitation for Tony will take place at Fiss & Bills-Poklasny Funeral Home at 865 S Westhaven Dr in Oshkosh, WI. Visitation will take place on Sunday, May 3rd, 2026, from 2pm to 4pm, followed by a prayer service at 4pm. Please join us in honoring Tony’s life.
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