Charles Koch

1922 - 2011

Koch

Charles, age 88, died June 13, 2011, Georgetown, Ohio. Born in Cincinnati on November 14, 1922, Charles Joseph Koch, Jr. was the son of Charles Joseph Koch and Adah Middaugh Koch. He graduated from Withrow High School and the University of Cincinnati, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and a chemical engineering major.He also graduated from Chicago's Siebel Institute of Technology, America's oldest brewing school, and became the fifth generation in his family to brew beer. He apprenticed at all the major Cincinnati breweries-Burger, Hudepohl,

Schoenling and Wiedemann. After graduating from Seibel, he became brewmaster at the Wooden Shoe Brewery in Minster, Ohio.Mr. Koch left brewing in the 1950s as the business consolidated and moved from flavorful local beers to national brands. He co-founded Chemicals, Inc., a wholesale chemical company, which he sold in 1986. In l983 he acted as a consultant to his son Jim, helping to formulate a new beer. This led to founding of The Boston Beer Company and the development of Samuel Adams Boston Lager®. Mr. Koch was the company's longest serving director. The company is now America's largest craft brewer.From an early age, Mr. Koch loved cars, both classic and modern. He was an avid car collector, and his automobiles won many awards. He was actively involved for 25 years with Cincinnati's Concours d'Elegance, one of the country's premier car shows and was recently recognized for his many contributions to the show.He was married for over 63 years to Dorothy Kautz Koch, also of Cincinnati. Mrs. Koch died in 2008. He established the Dorothy Koch Family Foundation in her memory, and the foundation has funded many educational projects. Survivors include his sister Betty Hefele, and his four children—Susan Koch and her husband Jim Huizenga; Jim Koch and his wife Cynthia Fisher; William Koch; and Lisa Greene and her husband Mark Greene. He is also survived by eleven grandchildren—Megan Popp, Charlie Koch, Nick Huizenga, Alex Greene, Jon Greene, Jessica Greene, Eric Greene, Elizabeth Koch, Emily Koch, Matthew Koch and Andrew Koch, plus two great-grandchildren—Henry Popp and Rosalee Popp. Funeral services will be private, but a memorial celebration is planned. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in memory of Charles Koch to Georgetown JR/SR High School Scholarship Fund, 987 Mt. Orab Pike, Georgetown, Ohio 45121 or to Cincinnati Concours Foundation, 347 Stanley Avenue, Suite 1 West, Cincinnati, Ohio 45227.