Cofounder of multiple family businesses, including Ehler’s RV, believed in public service and was always willing to offer a helping hand
Alden Cary “Duke” Ehler, a man with a big personality and endless amounts of friends, passed peacefully into the arms of his wife, Emily, and son, Michael, on March 31, 2025, encapsulated by his most loving and attentive daughters. We were gifted the opportunity to experience his wit one more time as our family gathered by his side the day before his passing. We shared laughter and tears, knowing that those memories will never fade and we will hold them for a lifetime. Duke was born on February 22, 1931, in New Haven, Conn., to Irwin and Isabelle Ehler. He joined the U.S. Air Force stationed at Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma, Tenn., where he met and married the love of his life, Emily. Duke served in the Korean War and upon his return was assigned to Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester, Vt., for “Operation Coldspot.” Although he would say he initially couldn’t wait to get the heck out of the Vermont cold, he learned to love it and stayed here to raise his family. Together with Emily, their business ventures began with Ehler’s Bay Breeze Motel in Malletts Bay, then, after moving their family to Essex Junction, they opened Ehler’s Sunoco and Service Station on Pearl Street. Wanting to expand, they purchased a chicken farm in Essex Town and creatively converted the old barn into a new home for their business. With a love for camping and travel and the support of Deb and Mike, they added recreational vehicles to their lineup and expanded into a new building and business known as Ehler’s RV, Inc., on the same property. The family business was exactly that ... a place where customers became family. Mom and Dad caravanned extensively throughout the U.S. with their dear RV friends and traveled to Japan and Germany with their family. Through their own actions, Mom and Dad demonstrated the importance of helping others, which they have passed on to us. Duke was a very patriotic American, believed in public service, and loved, honored and respected all military members. Together, Dad and Mom were longtime members of the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction, where Dad held many board positions in the earlier years. They were members and officers of the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), Winnebago International Travelers Club (WIT) and Good Sam Club. Duke was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Cairo…
Cofounder of multiple family businesses, including Ehler’s RV, believed in public service and was always willing to offer a helping hand
Alden Cary “Duke” Ehler, a man with a big personality and endless amounts of friends, passed peacefully into the arms of his wife, Emily, and son, Michael, on March 31, 2025, encapsulated by his most loving and attentive daughters. We were gifted the opportunity to experience his wit one more time as our family gathered by his side the day before his passing. We shared laughter and tears, knowing that those memories will never fade and we will hold them for a lifetime. Duke was born on February 22, 1931, in New Haven, Conn., to Irwin and Isabelle Ehler. He joined the U.S. Air Force stationed at Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma, Tenn., where he met and married the love of his life, Emily. Duke served in the Korean War and upon his return was assigned to Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester, Vt., for “Operation Coldspot.” Although he would say he initially couldn’t wait to get the heck out of the Vermont cold, he learned to love it and stayed here to raise his family. Together with Emily, their business ventures began with Ehler’s Bay Breeze Motel in Malletts Bay, then, after moving their family to Essex Junction, they opened Ehler’s Sunoco and Service Station on Pearl Street. Wanting to expand, they purchased a chicken farm in Essex Town and creatively converted the old barn into a new home for their business. With a love for camping and travel and the support of Deb and Mike, they added recreational vehicles to their lineup and expanded into a new building and business known as Ehler’s RV, Inc., on the same property. The family business was exactly that ... a place where customers became family. Mom and Dad caravanned extensively throughout the U.S. with their dear RV friends and traveled to Japan and Germany with their family. Through their own actions, Mom and Dad demonstrated the importance of helping others, which they have passed on to us. Duke was a very patriotic American, believed in public service, and loved, honored and respected all military members. Together, Dad and Mom were longtime members of the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction, where Dad held many board positions in the earlier years. They were members and officers of the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), Winnebago International Travelers Club (WIT) and Good Sam Club. Duke was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Cairo…