Seventy-seven years ago, Bill Koch was born in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, to Rev. Alton and Euretha (Reth) Koch, and welcomed by his two older sisters, Julie Koch and Bonnie (Koch) Snyder. Their family soon grew to include two younger brothers, Rev. Robert (Bob) Koch and David (Dave) Koch. Bill lived with his family in Mt. Pleasant until, one by one, the siblings went off to college, married, and/or pursued their careers. As the founding pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Mt. Pleasant, Bill's father involved the whole family in the ministry, grounding each of them strongly in their Christian faith – and keeping them busy in all aspects of the church, including shoveling snow and mowing the lawn. After working his way through his Bachelor and Master's degrees in Math and Business Administration at Iowa Wesleyan College and the University of Illinois, Bill accepted a job as Financial Planner at General Dynamics Electronics in San Diego. H e worked at the same company for 42 years before retirement, mirroring the sense of devotion and loyalty Bill so admired in his father, who was pastor at the same church for 42 years before retiring. Within a year of being hired, however, Bill was drafted and returned to Mt. Pleasant to be processed, where while waiting to know his status, he met his future bride, Linda. After he received a 4-F draft status and returned to his job in San Diego, the connection between Bill and Linda, clearly planned by God, blossomed; within a year they were engaged, then married on August 1, 1970. Their two sons, Scot and Chris, have brought them much joy and pride, which doubled when they married Kari (Scot) and Joanna (Chris), bringing them into the family. Bill treasured Kari and Joanna as his daughters.

Throughout his time in San Diego, Bill continued being a faithful servant of God. In his 40 + years at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church and Preschool in Poway, he humbly served as Treasurer, Head Usher, and all around handyman, mowing lawns, cleaning gutters, and fixing whatever he could with his bag of tools.

Bill died suddenly and unexpectedly early in the morning of April 4, 2022. In addition to Linda, Scot and Kari, Chris and Joanna, Bill will be missed by his sisters, Julie Koch and Bonnie (Charlie) Snyder; brothers Dave (Barbara) and Rev. Robert (Bettie, now deceased), his uncle Dick (Judy) Meyer, his aunts Betty Hoy and Meta Walter, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He will be greeted in heaven by his parents and many aunts and uncles.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, April 22, at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, 14280 Poway Rd., Poway, CA, 92064. Anyone wishing to remember Bill is encouraged to support a favorite charity in his memory. Bill's most supported ministries include Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; Faith Lutheran Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Wapello, Iowa; Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, Poway, CA; and KFUO radio station in St. Louis, MO.