Koch, Jr., Philip Hewitt

Phil was born Feb 17, 1935, the son of the late Philip and Marie Lawrence Koch. He graduated from LaSalle Academy in NYC (1952). He received an Assoc. Degree in Horticulture at SUNY Long Island Agricultural and Technical Institute at Farmingdale (now State University of New York Farmingdale in Farmingdale, NY) in 1956, and then he served his country with the US Army. The day he returned home in 1958, he proposed to the love of his life, Anne Burke Koch. Phil and Anne were married over 65 years and raised four children together in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and finally North Carolina.

Phil spent nearly his entire career in agricultural chemical sales/Marketing, Sales Mgmt/Product Mgmt/Communications, and Trade Relations with Geigy which became Ciba-Geigy (currently Syngenta) where he remained active with the Ciba-Geigy Alumni retirees. He served with the United Way for several years as a Loaned Executive and at the Shepherd Center for 12 years as a home handyman.

His many hobbies over the years included reading, gardening, sailing, golf, writing, and traveling around the world with Anne. He was a member of the US Power Squadron through 2010. He loved the theater, acting in Life With Father while in New York and in over 40 productions such as Damn Yankees, The Wizard of Oz, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Sunshine Boys, and West Side Story at the Carolina Theater in Greensboro (CTG). He won a CTG Harlequin Awards Winner for Best Cameo Male (1998-1999) and CTG's Best Supporting Actor 1996-1997. He was a CTG Board member for 9 years and CTG President for 1 year. He was also a playwright and wrote 10 short play productions.

Inspired by his wife Anne who graduated from UNC-G at the age of 69, Phil also went to UNC-G and earned a bachelor's degree in history in 2018 at the age of 82. He was very proud of the fact that at the time, he was the oldest graduate of the University. After moving to Abbotswood, he gave monthly history lectures to his friends there, with topics ranging from WWII and current events to the History of Broadway Musicals.

Phil's life will be forever cherished by his wife Anne, his four children Beth (Dave) King of Dublin, Ohio; Donna (Chris) Goodwin of Oak Ridge, NC; Tom (Jane) Koch of Garner, NC; and Phil (Lisa) Koch of Lancaster, SC; his ten grandchildren Ben (Kendall) Koch of NYC; Nick (Melissa) Koch of Charlotte; Kathleen (Caleb) Lackey of Asheboro; Daniel (Lexie) of Bellevue, WA; Alex (Claudia) Koch of Charlotte, Brian (Jennifer) King of Madison, WI; Jennifer Goodwin of Brooklyn, NY; Tommy Goodwin of Kissimmee, FLA; Jack Koch of Washington, DC, and Max Koch of Columbia, SC; and two great-grandchildren: Finnley and Eilie Lackey. He was preceded in death by his brother Robert Koch and will be greatly missed by his brother Larry (Marie) Koch of Winsted, CT, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Cremation services will be performed by Forbis & Dick Funeral Service in Greensboro, NC. A funeral mass will be held on Monday, March 25, 2024, at 11 a.m. at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 2210 N. Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27408.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made and to Trinity Missions, 9001 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20903 (the fundraising arm of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity for whom his late uncles Fr. Andrew Lawrence, S.T. and Fr. Frederick Lawrence, S.T. dedicated their lives) or to the Community Theater of Greensboro (NC). Donations may also be made to the Cure PSP Organization, 325 Hudson Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10013.