Horst Eugene Koch

Horst Koch was born February 27th, 1933 in Forcheim, Germany. He emigrated to the United States in 1951. He arrived in New York and settled into New Jersey. Within a year, he was drafted by the U.S. Army and he returned to Germany to serve his country. Horst was very proud of his service.

After his service, Horst returned to continue his work as a machinist with several manufacturers. At age 37 he met the love of his life, Nancy Miller. The two attended at an evening event, and as Nancy slipped from the crowd to make a phone call, Horst saw his opportunity to deftly maneuver a “chance meeting.” The two dated and within a year were married settling in Harrington Park, NJ.

Horst became a wonderful stepfather to Nancy’s two children, David and Tracy. Soon after marriage the family moved to neighboring Haworth where they would live until 1982. In 1971 the couple welcomed a daughter, Linda.

Horst was an amazing craftsman and mechanically inclined. The home was soon transformed with improvement projects like a finished basement with a bedroom and full bath, conversion of an enclosed patio to a second living room, and numerous back yard improvements. None of the children can ever recall a repairman at the house.

Horst and Nancy loved to travel and there were family trips to Germany and frequent vacation road trips to Florida and Cape Cod. A favorite getaway destination for Horst and Nancy was Jamaica and in later years, the couple enjoyed cruises to Mexico and Alaska.

Horst enjoyed soccer, he played semi-pro before he came to the U.S. He continued his lifelong love of the game by playing in adult leagues once in the states and then coaching as he settled into family life. He continued to enjoy watching soccer and would always root for USA over Germany or any other international team.

Horst’s career is marked by his amazing ability to visualize mechanical processes. He excelled and eventually ran manufacturing plants and became the “go to” guy for troubleshooting production issues. In the early 80s he had the opportunity to transfer cross-country to and head up manufacturing at Baldwin-Staub, a printing equipment company located in San Bernardino. In 1982, Horst and Nancy purchased a wonderful home in Redlands.

Horst loved his hillside home and the remodeling and landscaping projects continued. The couple enjoyed entertaining and hosting frequent poolside gatherings for friends and family. Horst was also an amazing grandfather to a growing number of grandchildren. He was an active part of their lives. He would always have a kind word of encouragement. He especially enjoyed playing soccer with them.

Horst was a dedicated and loving husband and cared for his wife when she became ill in the early 90s until she passed in 2011. After Nancy was laid to rest, Horst enjoyed spending weekends with his daughters and grandchildren - and he especially loved being by the beach. Horst also traveled to Germany to visit relatives and to the Midwest to visit his son and his family - and there were many trips to Mexico with his daughters.

Horst will be remembered as a kind, loving and humble man - a dedicated husband and father. He enjoyed relaxing in his jacuzzi, grilling weisswurst and the occasional apple martini.

Horst is preceded in death by his wife Nancy and brothers Klaus and Werner. Horst is survived by his children, David, Tracy and Linda and 6 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren