John was born May 6, 1941, in Hartford, Arkansas to George Otis Couch and Frances Adair Couch. He attended Fort Smith Senior High School, then went to M.I.T. where he graduated in Physics. In 1971 John earned a Ph.D. in Biophysics at Stanford University for his studies of bacterial DNA repair. He studied piano as a child; decades later he took lessons from pianist Roy Bogas.
John was a co-founder of the Imatron Corporation where, as Chief Engineer, he developed the world's first cardiac CT scanner, a truly life-saving device.
John is remembered for his generosity, intelligence, and competitive spirit. His wide-ranging interests included classical music, tennis, mathematics, passionflower biology, photography, and championship Bridge. He is survived by his brother William and sister-in-law Dora Perches Couch of Colorado Springs, Colorado; niece Melissa Close of Cypress, Texas; nephew Jeffrey Couch of Madison, Alabama; long-time friends Michael Russell and Ann Nepper of Berkeley, California; David Kilbridge and Russell Mills of San Francisco; and by John's many other friends and associates who treasure their memories of him.
John will be laid to rest at the Hartford Memorial Park in Hartford, Arkansas.
