Name: Visitation for Robert W. Koch Sr.
Start: 2024-02-16T16:00:00.000Z
End: 2024-02-16T20:00:00.000Z
Location: Justen Funeral Home & Crematory

Robert W. Koch Sr.
Born: May 16, 1933 in Chicago, IL
Died: February 11, 2024 in Wonder Lake, IL
Robert William Koch, Sr, passed away peacefully on February 11, 2024, at his home in Wonder Lake, IL, surrounded by his family. Born on May 16, 1933, in Chicago, IL. Bob's life was filled with family & friends.
Bob was the son of Albert & Beatrice Koch. He grew up in Chicago attending Amundsen High School where he participated in ROTC, played piano, and made life long friends. He graduated from Purdue University, served in the US Army, and had an extensive career as a Walgreen's pharmacist in Chicago & Glenview, IL. He loved talking to customers and co-workers, never called in sick, and made life long friends.
Bob's loving sister, Jean Biddulph, often played piano duets with Bob. She introduced him to Sylvia (Stenlund) Koch, his wife of 64 years! Together they had three children: Bob Koch, Sue (Mark) Schmidt, and Sheryl (Tim) Hilbert. Bob's early family life in Des Plaines, IL, was filled with dinners, baseball games, gymnastics meets, band concerts, newspaper clippings, family trips, and friends.
His family grew with 10 grandchildren: Lauren (Sean), Susannah (James), Alexandra, Ian; Kristen (John), Carly (Matt), Kaitlyn (Mike); Tracy (Becker), Kelly, & Jeffrey. Bob spent time with all of them, showing his love by attending their games, concerts, & graduations; always followed by a meal & ice cream, but no cellphones. He lived 90 years and was blessed with 8 great grandchildren: Savannah, Alexander; John, Aiden, Brigid; Amelia, Brayden; Sophia. He loved sharing big hugs with these little kiddos.
Bob's life focused on staying connected & being present in the lives of family & friends. He loved to hear & then share the current events in their lives. He was a good listener and a loyal friend.
Bob's free time was filled with travel around the world with Sylvia, golf & other activities with friends, meals with family, boat rides with kids, Wizard with grandkids, hugs from great grandkids, Iowa football games, family sporting events, worship at Ringwood United Methodist Church, newspapers, salt water taffy, & winters in Northport, FL.
Bob's life will be remembered & celebrated at Justen's Funeral Home, 3700 W. Charles Miller Road, McHenry, IL on Friday, February 16, 2024, from 4- 8 pm, and on Saturday, February 17, 2024, from 8:30-9:30 with a Funeral Service at 9:30 am.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Lung Association.
For information, please call the Funeral Home at 815-385-2400, or visit www.justenfh.com, where friends and loved ones may share memories of Bob on his tribute wall.

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

Published by Northwest Herald on Feb. 15, 2024.

Memories and Condolences
for Robert Koch

Sponsored by Justen Funeral Home & Crematory - McHenry.

1 Entry

Nina (Dziem) Dent

February 17, 2024

Mr. Koch was the All-American dad. Family-centered, great provider and solidly grounded in his morals and values. I was not lucky enough to be a part of the Koch family, but I was by extension as I grew up being Sheryl´s best friend.

The Koch´s always treated me like one of their own and it breaks my heart that I am not with them in their time of mourning. However, I would like to share with them my loving memories (albeit some 40+ years ago), of their beloved father.

I often ate meals with them, and I remember Mrs. Koch always leaving the additional piece of meat for Mr. Koch. Why this is something I remember, I am not sure, but I never questioned it because he deserved the most for all he did. And thank you Mrs. Koch for always offering me the left-over green beans when no one else wanted them. I still love them to this day.

Just last week, my husband and I were discussing where we went to go ice skating when we were kids, as we both grew up in Des Plaines. I told him when we were young (5-8ish) the neighbor between the Koch´s house and my house had a back yard turned ice skating rink. Not sure if that was intentional but it happened. I shared the story of how Mr. Koch came out to ice skate with us and play "crack the whip". Boy was he relentless! As the smallest kid of the group, I got sent to the end and when he was the conductor of that whip, I went FLYING into the snowbanks! I remember thinking, "Boy that was really hard, Mr. Koch. It didn´t feel so good." After that, I am not sure I joined the whip again.

During those years, I was so small I did not fit into their "training water skis" as my feet were simply too small. Mr. Koch had so much patience with me in my efforts to get me up. I am sure he had to go slow enough that he felt he was trolling the water, not pulling a skier. Eventually, with my sneakers on and in the ski boot, I was successful...thanks to the patience of a great man.

Memories from Wonder Lake include Mr. Koch meticulously cutting his lawn with his electric lawn mower, boat rides around the lake, tons of skiing, tobogganing, playing card games and the willingness to put up with one more kid for a whole week every summer. Geesh, was he a great guy!

Memories of 884 Munroe Circle include Mr. Koch showing us his 8mm movies (many of gymnastics), his beer can collection, his massive train setup, his fish tanks and his living room chair and newspaper...Wall Street Journal as I recall.

As I stated at the beginning, Mr. Koch was the All-American dad who shared his love, morals, and values not only to his own children but with the friends of his children as well. Mr. Koch was blessed by God to live a long and valued life to share those same characteristics with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. What a fulfilling and blessed life he had! While many of us here on earth will miss Mr. Koch, his legacy will live on in his and theirs and God will gather another win for heaven.

I love you, Mr. Koch, and thank you for helping me become the person I am today.

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