Joseph J Koch

Joseph John Koch, 71, passed away on June 12, 2015 at his home in Centennial, CO. He is survived by his three daughters. Megan, his oldest daughter, devoted herself to his care especially over the last five years as he struggled with COPD. Joe's younger daughters, Jennifer and Katie both have upcoming weddings they know Joe will be at in spirit. He was also supported and cared for by Nancy Olson, Joe's first wife. He had four beautiful grandchildren, Eleanor, Margaret, James and Abigail.

Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Joe was grateful to receive a Catholic and later Jesuit education, attending Leo High School and Loyola University in Chicago for his undergraduate and Master’s degree in History. His love of education brought him to his first teaching job at St. Lawrence High School in Chicago. Joe and Nancy moved to Denver in 1971 to raise their two daughters. Joe furthered his education with his Masters of Public Administration at University of Colorado Boulder. For years he taught social studies and human resources at the Community College of Denver where he was a masterful instructor. There he met his second wife, Sheryl. Together, they had Katie and moved to Nevada in 1986. They built a successful small business together, Koch Kaleidoscopes. Joe moved back to Colorado in 2009.

Joe’s true love was baseball and his Cubbies. He was devoted to his fantasy baseball teams. He was a strong soul who always used humor and cared tremendously for his longtime friends and family. He will be missed.