Robert (Bob) Allen Koonz passed away on Monday, February 1st, 2016, at Evanston Hospital. Bob was born on February, 21, 1941, in Chicago, IL, son of Carl and Gladys Koonz. After graduating from Downers Grove High School, Bob attended Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He graduated from Wabash in 1962 and went on to obtain an MS in Chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1965. Bob remained a loyal alumnus over the years. Bob taught Chemistry/AP Chemistry at New Trier High School for over 30 years. He was a remarkable teacher who was very beloved by his students. He retired from full time teaching in 2003; however, he continued to substitute teach and tutor throughout his retirement. Bob Koonz is survived by his niece, Katy (and Steve) Weihe and his nephew, Nicholas Koonz, both of Atlanta, GA. He was great uncle to Kylie & Ian Weihe and Aya Koonz. Bob's younger brother, Charles, preceded him in death in 2014. Funeral services are private . Memorials in Bob's name may be made to Wabash College, 301 W Wabash Ave, Crawfordsville, IN. 47933. or Mercy's Home for Boys and Girls, 1140 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL, 60607, Info: www.donnellanfuneral.com or (847) 675-1990

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by PL-North on Feb. 8, 2016.

Memories and Condolences
for Robert Koonz

8 Entries

Karl Ryan Reynolds

February 2, 2024

Although I was just an exchange student at New Trier West, Mr. Koonz left a permanent memory in my mind. Like my host brother, Nello Lucchesi mentioned in a New Trier post, he was a good teacher who I'll always remember had a habit of clutching his tie when he coughed in class. I was having a problem with remembering the differences between Molarity, Molality, and Specific Gravity but after New Trier, I remembered. I will also treasure the moments I sat next to him while on "The El" headed for Brad Kapnick's party or being a The U.S. Nationals (Chess) with the New Trier Chess Team. Thanks Mr. Koonz for those memories! R.I.P.

Peter VandeMotter

May 8, 2018

He was a great teacher. And yes, he talked of his Alma Mater, Wabash. Coincidentally, I went to Rose Tech, which often played Wabash in football.

August 5, 2017

Bob was a teacher, mentor, and friend. His mind was always active and his sense of humor was infectious. He was a loving son and beloved by all who knew him. He will be missed!

Scott Sortal
NT class of 2000

Rita Desai

February 24, 2016

Mr. Koonz was everyone's favorite chemistry teacher. I was a student in his earlybird chem class as a sophomore at NT, and we really enjoyed having him as our chemistry teacher. He made the ~7:00 am earlybird meeting time not only bearable, but enjoyable. We were all very fortunate to learn chemistry (and learn it well!) from such a talented and engaging educator. He is being (and will continue to be) very warmly remembered by all of us, and greatly missed.

My condolences to your family.

Richard Simonds

February 16, 2016

Mr. Koonz was a wonderful person and teacher and much beloved by his students. He had an incredible sense of humor and great gift for telling stories. I had him for AP Chemistry and he was also the faculty sponsor of the chess team. His energy was infectious. Great teachers like Mr. Koonz are a rare thing but they are always remembered, even if it was, in my case, more than 30 years ago.

Chris Page

February 10, 2016

I had Mr. Koonz for AP Chemistry in the early 80's. He was a hard-working and dedicated teacher who very much wanted his students to succeed. He would often say something like "I want you thinking about chemistry all the time." Good advice - I learned more in his class than most.
My condolences to the Koonz family.

Mercy Home for Boys and Girls

February 9, 2016

On behalf of Fr. Scott Donahue and the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, we would like to extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the family and friends of Robert (Bob) Allen Koonz.
May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs come to welcome you and take you to the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem.

Sara Hargrave

February 7, 2016

Mr. Koonz was one of the most memorable teachers I ever had at New Trier (and that says a lot!). I remember him designating the front row of his chemistry class the "splash zone" -- because he got so enthusiastic about chemistry (or whatever crazy story he was telling) that the words would just spray out (along with some saliva). I had a lot of fun in Mr. Koonz's class (and also learned quite a bit). Sad to hear of his passing; he was a great guy.

Showing 1 - 8 of 8 results