Donald Alan "Donnie" Koch

With great sadness we announce the sudden and unexpected passing of our beloved brother, uncle, and friend, Donald Alan "Donnie" Koch, 77. Don was a resident at Sunrise Meadows Senior Community in Brookfield, Wisconsin when he passed from an undetermined medical condition that left him unresponsive when checked by staff. Don was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 15, 1948, and passed to eternal life on October 15, 2025.

Donnie grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he attended Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Elementary School and John Marshall High School. He was a gentle, caring, sociable person who appreciated life and valued spending time with friends and family. Donnie loved spending time at his home and wooded property in Brookfield before moving to senior living in 2024. He was a faithful Roman Catholic who attended Sunday mass with his sister Lois for many years and looked forward to Sunday Mass online at assisted living. He greatly enjoyed music, especially listening to Elvis. Family and friends still remember much of the music he introduced them to from his extensive record collection.

Don enjoyed having friends over for picnics and parties. His sense of humor was always at the ready and his quick wit added fun to any event. In recent years Don's mild dementia impacted his ability to live alone. He survived several incidents that would have taken his life if not for miraculous intervention, such as neighbors Karen and Dean rescuing him when they found him face-down in the snow. A few months later while in rehabilitation he suffered a stroke that was promptly identified by staff. Microsurgery removed a clot in his brain, and he was back in rehab two days later. Thank you to all who helped Don with his daily activities, especially his nephew Mike Wawrzyn who helped take care of Don's property, and his neighbor Ken who checked in on Don regularly.

Donnie worked as a lathe operator at Briggs and Stratton and for many years as a delivery driver for restaurants in the Milwaukee area. He last worked as an auto delivery driver for Milwaukee Auto Auction which allowed him to drive a variety of cars and trucks.

Don is survived by his sister Lois Wawrzyn, brother Gordy (Melanie) Koch, cousins Johanna Hamilton and Pam Van Ert; many nieces and nephews to whom he was the "cool uncle", and friends, including his close and loving friends, Carol Limbach, Diane Timm, Linda and Rick Peckels, and many others. He was preceded in death by his parents Ervin and Alice Koch, and his brothers Joseph, Ervin, and Gary. He was also preceded in death by his longtime partner Paula Hardy. Don loved spending time with family and was especially fond of fairs, festivals, and holidays, always looking forward to the next Thanksgiving dinner.

When Donnie was about four years old, he became fascinated with cars. He amazed everyone by calling out the year, make, and model of every car as he peered over the rear windowsill of our 1952 Nash. Don owned numerous classic cars throughout his lifetime and at times had as many as twenty collectible cars on display at his beloved property and home in Brookfield. His excitement influenced others to make cars their hobby. He attended and participated in car shows all over Wisconsin, often showing his favorite 1966 GTO. The motto for GTOs was "Put a tiger in your tank." Tiger-related items seemed to appear everywhere. Don even had a "tiger head" that he wore as a costume.

Don was also an amazing pool player, who could run the table multiple times even after he needed to use a walker to maintain his balance. He had an outbuilding on his property dedicated as a pool room where he often played pool with friends. He was an avid reader, and he looked forward to activities at

Sunrise Meadows where he enjoyed the staff and other residents. He enjoyed playing games and winning bingo prizes. He had accumulated about 100 stuffed animals that he won in bingo and other games. He found it peaceful to spend hours watching birds in the aviary and watching trains and counting the cars as they went by. He was very happy there. From the first day, he said it was a miracle that he was able to live at Sunrise Meadows.

A memorial celebration will be held Nov 5, 2025, at CHURCH AND CHAPEL FUNERAL HOME, 1875 N. Calhoun Road, Brookfield, WI with a gathering of friends and family from 11:00am – 1:00pm, followed by a brief memorial service led by Rev. James Hollister.

At a later date, Don will be interred at Holy Cross cemetery in Milwaukee WI, at his parents' grave site.

Thanks to the staff at Sunrise Meadows, his PACE Care team, and the staff and residents who kept him healthy and happy at Sunrise Meadows.

Thanks to everyone who enriched Don's life. Gone too soon and you will be greatly missed. Enjoy reuniting with Paula, family, and friends in heaven.

Church & Chapel Funeral Service Serving the Family

Milw. 262-827-0659 Wauk. 262-549-0659

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