John Ralph Kolar Sr., 72, of Imperial died Jan. 13, 2017, at his home. Mr. Kolar was employed with the St. Louis County Corrections Dept. in Clayton for 17 years. He graduated in 1965 from O'Fallon Tech, where he mastered the art of woodworking. He also was a big-game hunter, which led him to his true calling: taxidermy. He owned and operated American Wilderness Studio for 35 years until his retirement. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and a family man with a great sense of humor. He was born Jan. 1, 1945, the son of the late Fred and Myrtle Kolar.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Carol (Ashbrook) Kolar; three sons: John Kolar Jr. of Arnold and Jeff (Tiffany) Kolar and Greg (Ulonda) Kolar, both of the St. Louis metro area; six grandchildren: Jeffrey D., Jessica (Jeff), Jeremy, Ricki, Evelyn and Austin (Ashley); and two great-grandchildren: Emilia Scout and Bently.
He was preceded in death by three brothers: Fred, Gene and Charles.
A memorial service to celebrate Mr. Kolar’s life will be held at a later date. He supported many causes through the years, such as the NRA; Ducks Unlimited; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; John Hagee Ministries; Christians United for Israel (CUFI); Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein; and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ). Memorials to any of these would be appreciated. Arrangements were under the direction of St. Louis Cremation.