Judie Cagle "Coca" Kohler

The Family of Judie Cagle Kohler announces her passing into Glory on Friday, July 31^st.  Judie was born on December 9, 1948 in Lake Charles, Louisiana to Louise Bradford Cagle and Robert Brantley Cagle. She is a 1966 graduate of Lake Charles High School, where she was active in The Kilties as a tenor drummer, Mariners Club, and Library Club.  She is also a 1970 graduate of McNeese State University where she earned a Batchelor’s Degree in English and minor in Social Studies. She did her Post Graduate work at MSU where she earned a M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision. While she was certified to be a Principal or Supervisor K-12, she preferred to be in the classroom teaching her students. After retirement Judie also completed courses with honors and distinction in 2005 for Funeral Director, at Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in Houston, Texas. It was here where she was a member of the “National Funeral Service Honor Society” (Dean’s List) and received the Commonwealth Faculty “Award of Excellence” in Grief Counseling.

Judie attended countless courses for professional improvement. She served on many committees with fellow teachers to develop curriculum guides, benchmarks, and classroom activities. She taught school for 41 years, during which she taught at Benton High School in Benton, La; Northside Jr High in Jennings, LA- where she started a ceramics program that extended into the community; Northside Jr High in Vinton, La; Rosteet Middle and Pearl Watson Jr High both in Lake Charles, La; Moss Bluff Middle School and Sam Houston High School in Moss Bluff, La. After retirement from the school system, Judie taught English and Business courses at Delta Tech and after many years of teaching, leaves a legacy of beloved “Kohler Babies” behind. Most of her teaching career was spent at Sam Houston High School in Moss Bluff, Louisiana, where she co-sponsored 13 student groups and activities which included Chess Club, Video Yearbook Club, SAPE (Substance Abuse Prevention Education), Mother’s In Secondary School (MISS), and helped with homeless students while teaching at Sam Houston. Among these, her favorite activities were the USO Show, to honor the Veterans on “Hug A Vet”Day and the SHHS Video Yearbook Club. It was here at SHHS she earned and proudly wore the title “The Field Trip Queen”, because she truly believed in hands on learning. Her favorite field trips were to Washington DC for the Presidential Inauguration of George W Bush and to the WWII museum in New Orleans, LA accompanied by Veterans. In addition to her teaching career she worked for the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Department-Moss Bluff Law Enforcement Center, where she was awarded “Employee of the Month” twice. She also held positions with the Iowa City Water Department, Consolata Cementary and Westlake Council on Aging. For many years she also worked night and weekends as a desk clerk and auditor at the Downtowner Motor Inn and Travel Inn and proudly served as a Commissioner of Voting with the Clerk of Court’s Office.

Judie was a life-long member of Trinity Baptist Church and was on the Wedding Committee and the Bereavement Committee. On many occasions, she also enjoyed attending services with her family and former students at First Moss Bluff Baptist Church. She has always enjoyed music, playing guitar and banjo. She was in a Folksinging/Gospel group in college.

During her lifetime, Judie was a member of many organizations and received several accolades throughout. She was a member of the National Association of Educators NAE, the Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE) and the National Council for Social Studies. She was a member of Chi Omega sorority at McNeese State University as was named “Coed of the Month” by McNeese’s Contraband Newspaper. She served as an officer and charter member of the Jennings Alpha Delta Kappa Chapter and voted “Girl of the Year” in 1976, as well as held membership in Beta Sigma Phi a civic organization to help the community and was a member of the Ruth and Westlake Chapters of Eastern Star. She was inducted into “Who’s Who Among American Teachers” six times, “Teacher of the Week” 4 times on four different local radio stations and was nominated for the  “National Walt Disney American Teacher Award.”

In 2004 because she helped to promote Patriotism in our schools,  she was nominated for Vietnam Veteran’s National Award for Patriotism and received the VFW Post 9933 and Auxiliary Teacher of the Year Award in recognition of the Veteran’s Day Program she put on annually for 15 years at Sam Houston High School. It was because of Judie’s love for her country, true patriotism, and a servant heart that garnered her accommodation from The Red Cross in Tuzla/ Main for sending supplies to our troops in Bosnia-Herzegovina/Tamar, Hungary from Sam Houston students at Christmastime and recognized by the community and SHHS for sending care packages to Sam Houston Graduates serving in Iraq. The Calcasieu-Cameron Association for Persons with Orthopedic Disabilities recognized her for spear-heading a very successful fund-raising drive and she also served as a Girl Scout Leader for her daughter’s troop in the Moss Bluff Area.

Another time in her life, that was very near and dear to her heart was partnering with Patrick Dix with whom she co-sponsored and mentored a group of young teens who formed a Break Dancing Group called Magnetic Attraction. They performed at the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans, La and at the Mohammed Ali/George Foreman Classic Basketball Game at the Lake Charles Civic Center, Phelps State Prison and many other venues.

Judie’s hobbies included reading books about history, arts and crafts, making jewelry, music, keeping up with her students through Facebook, traveling and time spent with family and friends. 

Her Philosophies were: One Person CAN Make A Difference; History DOES Repeat Itself; Challenge EACH Student; and Be A CONSTANT Witness for Christ.

Judie was preceded in death by her parents, Robert Brantley Cagle and Louise Bradford Cagle; brothers Robert Brantley Cagle, Jr. (Lotus) and William “David” Cagle and Brother-In-Law Francis Dressler.  She is survived by her daughter (the original Kohler Baby) Kimberly Kohler Farris (Dustin) and grandsons she adored, Cameron James-David Farris and Connor Jackson Farris; Karl Fredrick Kohler, Father to Kimberly; sister Jan Cagle Dressler; Nephews Andy, Billy and Joey; Sister-In-Law Sue Babineaux Cagle; and her Aunt Ona Joan Bullock. A special tribute to her loving soulmate Jack Knox and her faithful pet companion, Zoey; a very special friend Easter Mae Belizare, who she loved dearly; many precious cousins; thousands of “Kohler Babies” and hundreds of Lake Charles High School “Wildcats”.

Pall Bearers are Dustin Farris, Cameron Farris, Andy Dressler, Billy Dressler, Dr. Joseph Brantley Dressler, Keener Bullock and Patrick Dix. It was Ms. Kohler’s final wish that all former students who joined the military to be honorary pall bearers to let them know how proud she was of them and their service to our country. She also wanted to recognize students who went on to become teachers, and is so proud of your dedication to your students and education.

Visitation will be at Johnson Funeral Home in Lake Charles beginning on Friday, August 7, 2020 from 3:00 PM until 9:00 PM with a celebration of life at 6:00 PM.  Due to the circumstances of COVID 19, the funeral service on Saturday will be for family and extended family only.  The service will be livestreamed and can be viewed on Johnson Funeral Home Facebook page beginning at 10:00 AM.  Pastor John Louviere will officiate.  Burial will follow in Prien Memorial Park Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her Memory to Sam Houston High School Scholarship Fund (880 Sam Houston Jones Pkwy Lake Charles, LA 70611), Wounded Warriors Project (PO Box 758516 Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516), Waters Edge Homeless Outreach (c/o Kelli Stawecki 2760 Power Center Pkwy Lake Charles, LA 70607) and St Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org).

In compliance with current COVID 19 order, we respectfully request gatherings be limited and all attendants wear face masks.