Haven Brock Kolls, Sr., age 70, of Greensboro, GA, died Monday, April 18, 2011 at the Athens Regional Medical Center. He was born on March 31, 1941 in San Francisco, California to the late Friedrich Franz Kolls and Edna Earline Mills Kolls. He was a graduate of Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, California in the class of 1959 and attended the class 50-year reunion there in 2009. He received a BS in Biological and Physical Sciences from San Jose State University in 1964 and Masters Degree of Science in Microbiology from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He was a competitive swimmer, championship bowler, played varsity football, lettered in all sports and went on to play baseball at San Jose State where he met his wife.
He married the former Mardel Almas in 1963 and began his professional life as a teacher at Temple City High School teaching Physics and was the water polo and swim coach there from 1964 to 1965. Haven then taught in the Whittier Union High School District for the next 30 years at different schools including Monte Vista High School teaching Biology and coaching water polo, junior varsity basketball, the swim team and varsity football. He continued his coaching at Pioneer High School in Whittier, California until retiring in 2000. He then changed careers and was a certified Novell Administrator for computer networks working for Towers Perrin Financial Corporation in Irvine, CA. Haven also worked for Fluor Corporation as a pipe design engineer for three years.
Throughout the years he made time to be a Little League coach and President of the League, and even coached his son’s hockey team. Up until his move to Georgia, Haven coached swimming at Aliso Viejo High School. Haven’s sons were the pride and joy of his life and he moved to Georgia in 2008 so that he could be closer to them. They settled in Greene County at the Del Webb Community, where he enjoyed playing golf with his wife and buddies and going to breakfast with the Del Webb men, and trips to the grandkids. While living at Del Webb he volunteered his time at ATLAS training the staff and setting up software. Since moving to Greensboro he attended the Lake Oconee Presbyterian Church and sang in the choir.
Among his many interests included singing bass in a men’s barbershop harmony chorus for 47 years. He won 7 international gold medals singing with the Masters of Harmony barbershop chorus in California. Recently he enjoyed singing with the Stone Mountain Chorus and was fall show chairman and assisted with the chorus warm up. He loved traveling the world with his wife and their most recent trip was through the Panama Canal with 30 friends.
He is survived by his wife, Mardel Almas Kolls, of Greensboro, GA; two sons, H. Brock Kolls Jr. and his wife Chriss of Johns Creek, GA and Dr. Bradley Kolls and his wife Angela of Durham, NC; grandchildren, Garrett Kolls, Alyssa Kolls, Jason Kolls, Jared Kolls, Kevin Kolls, Nina Kolls and Samantha Kolls; and a number of other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by a brother, Friedrich Franz “Fred” Kolls Jr.
Funeral Services were held Monday, April 25, 2011 at the Lake Oconee Presbyterian Church, Eatonton, GA with Dr. Joe King officiating. Serving as pallbearers were Lloyd Gribbin, Don Freund, Dick Manwaring, Kenneth Kobett, H. Brock Kolls Jr. and Bradley Jason Kolls. Serving as honorary pallbearers were the Kolls grandchildren.
The family requests that any memorials be made in memory of Haven Brock Kolls Sr. to the Youth Harmony Foundation, Dixie District, c/o Jim Moore, 3385 Breton Court NE, Atlanta, GA 30319-2406.
