Robert Otto Koch: an appreciation
We received the devastating news of the passing of Bob Koch at age 90+, a towering figure in the context of South African Railway photography. As a regular contributor to “Soul of A Railway” his work will be impossible to replace. Our deepest condolences go out to Gail, their daughter Kathleen and the grandchildren.
To remind you of the standard of Bob’s work, here is one of his outstanding photos, soon to appear in the Bloemfontein-Kimberley chapter of Soul of A Railway. Taken in 1980, it shows a pair of 25NC 4-8-4s blasting up the 1/80 grade away from the water stop at Paardeberg on the Modder River; en route to East London Harbour with a block consignment of export grain from the Western Transvaal.
Obituary
Robert “Bob” Otto Koch, of Commerce Township, MI, passed away on November 20, 2023. He was 90 years old. He was born on June 11, 1933 in Detroit, MI, the only child of Otto and Dorothy Koch.
Bob graduated from the University of Michigan in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. This led to a 47-year career as an engineer in the aviation and automotive industries. The summer of the same year, he met Gail and together they just recently celebrated 66 years of marriage. His adventurous spirit, love of steam trains, and passion for photography allowed him and Gail to travel to 65 different countries; many of the countries they traveled to multiple times. He was an avid photographer and always focused to get the perfect shot of whatever it was he was capturing. He specifically had a passion for Chinese steam engines and this passion led him to travel to China and South Africa multiple times. There he would watch and photograph steam engines that he spent a lot of time researching and learning about. His knowledge on his passion was second to none. Their travels allowed them to met and befriend many wonderful people all throughout the world. In his youth, he became an Eagle Scout, enjoyed playing hockey, raced runabout boats, and loved spending time on his Chris-Craft. His favorite car was his 1960 Corvette convertible. He especially enjoyed his time spent at the family cottage in Omena, MI. This past June, family and friends from all over gathered to help Bob celebrate his 90th birthday. The gathering was special to him, and each person that attended.
Bob truly lived life his way. Devoted husband of 66 years to Gail Koch; loving father of the late Ronald Koch and Kathleen (Paul) Budka; proud grandfather of Kelly (Kevin) Lasky, Nicholas Budka, Scott Budka, and Ronnie Budka; cherished great-grandfather of Cassian Lasky. Robert is also survived by many dear friends throughout the world.