Amber Rohl was instrumental in helping to build the family’s plumbing company.
Helene M. “Amber” Rohl, a business partner in the innovative plumbing company founded by her husband, Kenneth S. “Ken” Rohl, died Aug. 11 at her home in Irvine, CA. She was 88.
“Amber embodied the entrepreneurial spirit that all successful business partners, wives, mothers, and grandmothers possess,” said Ken, founder of ROHL LLC. “She took on risks with flourish and enjoyed rewards with enthusiasm. Her contributions to me personally, our family, and our business gave us the strength, grace, and courage to adapt, grow, and successfully furnish authentically luxurious kitchen and bath collections to boutique hotels and homes across America. She indeed helped to make the world a more beautiful place.”
A Los Angeles native, Helene raised her family in Orange County, CA, and began a career in interior design, a passion she cultivated throughout her life and many properties. It was interior design that led Amber to attend a kitchen and bath industry show, where she met Ken Rohl, who had just begun a new business importing an innovative kitchen faucet from Switzerland. As their relationship developed, Amber became an integral partner in building what would become a successful business and renowned luxury brand from a spare bedroom in a rented Irvine townhouse. Throughout the years, her style, warmth, and spirit elevated the experience of working for and with ROHL LLC.
Of all her design projects, she was most proud of the beautification of the homes she shared with Ken, including properties in Irvine, Tustin, and Newport Beach, CA; Sun Valley, Idaho, and finally, the Shady Canyon neighborhood of Irvine.
In addition to her husband of 42 years, Helene is survived by children Jenni, Tom, Valinda, Randy, Mark, Lou, and Greg and numerous grandchildren, extended family, and friends.
Ken served NKBA in several capacities, including on the National Board of Directors, National Strategic Planning Group, National Manufacturer’s Representatives Council, and NKBA Ambassador’s Club, as well as serving as vice president of the Southern California Chapter for six years. He was inducted into NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Hall of Fame in 2008 and is a Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association Fellow. ROHL LLC was sold to Fortune Brands in 2016, when it became House of Rohl.
Mark, Lou, and Greg each worked in the family business. Louis M. “Lou” Rohl served as The House of ROHL’s strategic thought leader in the U.S. and was responsible for relationships with key vendors and customers. Rohl started his career at St. Charles Kitchens in St. Charles, IL., and at KWC Faucets in Switzerland before becoming a founding member of ROHL. He joined the NKBA’s National Board of Directors in 2021, serving for four years, including a term as Vice Chair in 2024. Mark Rohl was president of the Eastern Region and retired when the company was sold to Fortune. In addition to managing the sales agents and many distribution and dealer relationships, he was responsible for the Ferguson relationship. Greg Rohl, founder and principal of The Rohl Model, a luxury consultancy in the K&B industry, is a former owner and manager at House of Rohl. He is also an Advisor in NKBA’s Global Connect international business development program.
Amber also filled her family’s home with beautiful music, maintaining a passion for classical music she developed in high school, where she was an accomplished violinist and vocalist. She and Ken were great supporters of the Sun Valley Symphony, the Irvine Barclay Theater, and the UC Irvine School of the Arts Music Department, where they founded a program that provided opportunities for local residents to perform.In lieu of customary remembrances, the family said the best way to honor Amber’s memory would be a contribution to the UC Irvine Clare Trevor School of Performing Arts Department of Music or online here.
