Frances E. "Fran" Kosler

Frances E. Kosler, 77, of Hales Corners, Wisconsin, passed away on March 5, 2026, at the Aurora Zilber Family Hospice in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Born on April 2, 1948, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Ralph and Catherine Kotas, Fran moved with her family to Milwaukee in 1956. She graduated from Pulaski High School in 1966 and went on to build a varied and vibrant career.

In the early 1970s, Fran worked as a reporter for The Bugle American, where she wrote music and concert reviews and conducted insightful interviews with notable figures such as Jackson Browne, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, and Elliot Richardson. She later found purpose in healthcare, serving as a health unit coordinator at Columbia Hospital, Bellin Hospital in Green Bay, Mount Sinai Hospital, and finally in the Pathology Department at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin, where she played a key role in establishing their first IT system. After retiring in 2006, she embraced travel, cruising, spending peaceful time in Door County, and visiting New Orleans. Fran was known as an accomplished cook, a passionate reader, and a keen movie enthusiast who particularly enjoyed offering sharp critiques of films—especially the bad ones.

She is survived by her husband, Karl Kosler; her sisters Barbara Nolan, Patricia Kotas, and Mary Wallace; her stepfather, Michael Brackett; and her beloved cats, Tommy and Jimmy. Fran was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Monica.