Doyle Kusmer

Doyle Kusmer, longtime grocer, volunteer and sports enthusiast, died Friday, July 31, 2020, after a short illness. He was 94.

Doyle Francis Kusmer was born March 28, 1926, in Fremont to Stanley and Charlotte (Szymanski) Kusmer and attended St. Joseph High School, where he played football and basketball. He was inducted into the St. Joseph High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. He turned down an opportunity to play football at Bowling Green State University to help operate Kusmer's Market on Fremont's northwest side.

He lived nearly his entire life at or near the corner of Alger and Ball Streets, except for his military years and his last two years at Elmwood Assisted Living in Fremont.

He served in the Army Air Corps in 1944-46. He participated in an Honor Flight to visit the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

His father started Kusmer's Market in the 1920s, building a loyal clientele by offering credit during the Great Depression, a tradition continued by Doyle when he took over as principal operator upon the death of his father in 1958. The store was open seven days per week, 52 weeks per year until its closure in 1993, as Doyle never took vacations. The store's diverse clientele was drawn from across Fremont. He was one of the Ohio Lottery's original sales agents and was well known for always carrying a strand of lottery tickets in his shirt pocket next to an ever-present notebook.

He was a former president, director, and ticket chairman of the St. Joseph Booster Club. He was a longtime usher at St. Joseph Catholic Church and a bingo volunteer. He also was a longtime volunteer at ProMedica Memorial Hospital and at the Grace Lutheran Church Soup Kitchen. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Moose, and the American Legion. He also was a member of the YMCA, where for many years he exercised six days per week in the pool.

He was a lifelong fan of the Cleveland Indians, Browns and Cavaliers and the University of Notre Dame. For years he won free tickets to Indians games by correctly answering quiz questions on WFRO. He enjoyed annual football trips to Browns games with the Booster Club and with his sons, grandsons, and nephews.

He married Marian Mayle on May 30, 1951 and was dedicated to family. Survivors also include daughters Connie (Steve) Hodges of Columbus and Carol (Mike) Avery of Northwood, sons Ken of Indianapolis, Indiana; Tom (Lynne) of Port Clinton; and Jim (Anne) of Highland Heights, Ohio; 14 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Eileen Gabel of Fremont. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Charlotte (Paul) Hoelzle; a sister, Dorothy; and a brother, Robert.

His family extends special thanks to the staff of Elmwood Assisted Living and the second-floor nurses and hospice staff of ProMedica Memorial Hospital.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, August 4, 2020 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Herman-Karlovetz Funeral Home & Cremation Services 900 North St, Fremont, Ohio 43420. Those attending are required to wear a mask to enter the facility. Please be patient as admittance will be guided to adhere to social distancing and wait times may occur outside. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday 10:00 AM at St. Joseph Catholic Church, with a private family graveside service to follow.

If you cannot attend visitation but would like to have your name added to the guest registry, please call 419-332-7391.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association at https://www2.heart.org , the Fremont Saint Joseph CEDF, or the SJCC Boosters.

To express online condolences please visit www.hermanfh.com.

To view the live-streamed services, please visit our homepage on August 5th at the time of services, and click on the "Live Webcasts" tab at the top of the page.