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In memory of

Daniel Richard Koch

Rocky River, OH, USA

1945 - May 12, 2020

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Daniel Richard Koch, who died in Rocky River, OH on May 12 from heart failure at the age of 75, was a decorated officer, an Army Captain and Bronze Star recipient, who admirably served his country during the Vietnam War. To his family and friends, though, Dan’s storied life encompassed achievements and goodwill across many personal and professional avenues.
Although he was a natural storyteller—one who could regale his listeners with enumerable tales of serving in a war zone or humorous anecdotes of everyday life in Ohio—what none of us ever heard him discuss were his own successes, which were many.
Dan was born in Lakewood, Ohio, on February 28, 1945. He graduated from St. Edward High School in 1963 and then earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Kent State University in 1967. Although he had been accepted to enroll the next year at the United States Military Academy (West Point), he chose to immediately participate in Kent State’s Army ROTC program, from which he graduated at the top of his class, a feat that catapulted him into a position as a commissioned officer (2nd Lieutenant) in the Air Defense Artillery. In 1969, during the Vietnam War, he was promoted to the rank of Captain.
After the war, he returned to Kent State, studying to become a medical technologist. His career in the medical field led him to Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, working first in the blood bank before being promoted to Supervisor in Hematology. During this period of his life, he also returned to the military by joining an Army Reserve medical unit in Parma, Ohio.
Leveraging his GI Bill, Dan pursued graduate work in computer science at Cleveland State University, and upon completing his program in 1980, he transitioned into a new career field as a programmer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. While his professional endeavors there included major operations such as installing and maintaining PCs, training employees, researching prospective products, and performing networking projects, his former colleagues also readily note his memorable contributions as a popular building tour guide and an accomplished ballroom dancer. Remaining there in IT for the remainder of this career, he retired from the Federal Reserve in 2004 and moved to nearby Rocky River, Ohio, where he resided from 2007 until his passing. Even in his later years, he maintained an impactful presence in his community and was awarded Volunteer of the Year recently for his beloved service as the “Popcorn Man” at the Rocky River Senior Center’s Friday movies.
Renowned by friends and family as much for his dry wit as for his encyclopedic mind and photographic memory, Dan never made a point of showing off his razor-sharp mind. His interests were vast and diverse, ranging from Cleveland sports teams to vintage firearms to military history. In fact, he incurred a reputation among his peers for possessing the rare ability to vociferously debate nearly any topic germane to American politics or history with an air of respectful humility—a quality that is sorely lacking among many social circles nowadays.
He is survived by his brother, David, and his sister, Martha. His other sister, Marcia, died in 1997. Interment of his ashes will take place at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery on September 11, 2020 at 10:00 AM CDT.

Obituary information compiled by brother, David, but written by nephew, Matthew. David takes credit for any errors.
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