Kathleen Carol Koch

Kathleen Carol (Kathy) Koch, 85, loving, warmhearted, giving, and caring mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, died in Windsor, Colorado, on July 2, 2024, from complications caused by progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disease. Her daughters Wendy and Barbara were at her side along with her Labrador Kelsey. Kathy was born on June 25, 1939, in Elmhurst, Illinois, to Charlotte Kathleen and Edward Louis Smith. She was the eldest of four daughters and was always there to lend a helping hand with her younger sisters, Penny, Lynn, and Elaine. She grew up in Elmhurst in the house her father built and graduated from York High School in 1957. Kathy attended the University of Illinois and graduated in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in Education. A few years later in 1964 her first daughter Wendy was born in Maryland. She moved to Albuquerque in 1966 and attended the University of New Mexico where she earned a master’s degree in Elementary Education in June 1967, just a month before her second daughter Barbara was born. When not caring for her daughters, Kathy was caring for the many students she taught during her 21-year career as a 3rd, 4th, and finally 5th grade teacher at Mitchell Elementary in Albuquerque from 1972 until 1993. She was a dedicated but tough teacher who expected much from her students, and her impact on the students who came through her classroom was immeasurable. She remained in contact with several of her former students until her death. Around 1974, Kathy met her husband-to-be through Parents Without Partners, and she and Bill were married on Valentine’s Day in 1976. For 46 years they remained devoted to each other and their family until Bill’s death in 2022. Kathy was a gifted seamstress who sewed clothes for herself and her daughters, and once retired from teaching, she started quilting. It was a passion for her until she could no longer sew, and the endless hours she spent on each project resulted in gifts that were forever treasured. Her love for quilting was probably most expressed to her grandchildren, who received countless quilts as they grew to adulthood. Another passion was growing roses, and her home for over 50 years in Albuquerque reflected her enthusiasm. From late spring until early fall, her front and backyards were in constant bloom with every color of rose, and overflowing bud vases adorned the kitchen windowsill and dining room table. Kathy loved to bake, especially cookies, and holidays were magical with cut-out sugar cookies that she decorated with her daughters and later her grandchildren. Holidays in general were always a special time as she loved to fill her home with holiday-themed decorations. Kathy and Bill were active members of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, and they continued to attend virtually after relocating to Colorado. After retiring, they also enjoyed participating in flyball with their Labradors Anie, Duke, and Kelsey. Kathy’s generosity knew no bounds, and she cared for those in need without asking or wanting anything in return. She is survived by her daughters Wendy Gram and Barbara McDonald, her grandchildren Jake and Kyra McDonald, her great-grandson Colter Workman, her sisters Lynn Sefcovic and Elaine Carlson, her nephew Christopher Brockman, and her nieces Pam Love and Kim Renger. 

A visitation and celebration of life will be held at the Viegut Funeral Home in Loveland on July 17, 2024, from 5-7 PM, and a gravesite service will be held at the Cheyenne National Cemetery at noon on July 18, 2024, where she will be buried with her husband, USAF Major William P. Koch. For those who’d like to send flowers, the family has requested tabletop or smaller arrangements as they will be donated afterwards to her nursing home, Columbine Commons, for residents to enjoy and remember Kathy.