OOSTBURG, Wis. — Longtime executive with Kohler Co., Natalie Black Kohler passed away at her home on Sept. 10. She was 74.
Kohler was born on Dec. 19, 1949, in Bakersfield, Calif., to Eugene and Ann Black. She married Herbert V. Kohler Jr. in 1988, and they were partners in business, in life and in philanthropy.
Kohler received an A.B. degree in economics and mathematics from Stanford University in 1972 and was a 1978 magna cum laude graduate of Marquette University Law School. She was also a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development in 1982.
Kohler joined Kohler Co. in 1981 as a member of the Legal Department after previous employment since 1978 as an attorney with the Milwaukee law firm of Quarles & Brady.
Over the years, Kohler worked to protect Kohler Co.’s legal interests worldwide as general counsel; guide the company through global expansion and growth through a series of mergers and acquisitions; ensued Kohler Co.’s privately held status through a stock recapitalization; promoted the Kohler brand as senior vice president of corporate communications; and supported and led the Kohler Foundation and other charitable endeavors.
Believing fundamentally in the power and importance of reading, she started the Black Spring Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on literacy, education, hunger and improving life for animals.
She focused much of her philanthropic efforts on Sheboygan County and providing substantial funding to the Sheboygan County Food Bank, the Sheboygan County Humane Society and Sheboygan Public Education Foundation.
The capstone of her 33-year career at Kohler Co. is The Beacon, Kohler Co.’s state-of-the-art global communications headquarters, a brick-and-mortar culmination of Kohler’s career-long passion for elevating Kohler as an aspirational brand through imaginative advertising and strong consumer brand pull-through presence.
Kohler was inducted into the Wisconsin Advertising Hall of Fame as part of its 2019 class along with her husband.
In addition to being a member of the Kohler Co. board of directors from 1987 to 2022, and a member, then president, of Kohler Foundation from 1998 to 2022, Kohler was active on numerous professional boards and organizations.
Kohler was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert, her parents and a sister. She is survived by a sister, a niece, two stepdaughters and a stepson, 10 step-grandchildren, and three step-great-grandchildren.
A private service is being held with burial at Woodland Cemetery in Kohler, Wis. In lieu of flowers, donations in Kohler’s name can be made to Black Spring Foundation or the Sheboygan County Food Bank.
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