Johanna “Jenny” Koch, 80

March 10, 2020

Johanna “Jenny” Koch, née Heinzel, an avowed “tough broad,” died of natural causes the morning of March 10th after a struggle with Alzheimer’s. She was 80 years old.

Jenny was born December 31st, 1939, and she spent almost all of her childhood in Obernzell, a Bavarian town, until Bruce Koch, an American soldier stationed nearby, swept her off her feet. The two soon married – and stayed married for 58 years, until Bruce’s untimely death three years ago. To pay for her passage back to the states, Bruce sold his beloved Mercedes.

Bruce took a job as a diplomat for the US, and the pair’s travels took them to many parts of the world, including London (where she once met the Queen), former SSRs, such as Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, and West Africa.

Because she was not officially under US employ, Jenny was able to mingle among cultural figures in all of these countries, helping struggling artists and political dissidents. This was most notable in her many interactions with the Czech underground; she met and assisted Václav Havel, leader of the Velvet Revolution, which overthrew the Soviet-installed government, and many others.

Perhaps, though, she most enjoyed her time in Ghana and Nigeria. Other than shooting her only hole-in-one in Nigeria, she was particularly proud of her relationships with artists and authors in the area, rapidly becoming a patron of the contemporary art scene and a renowned hostess who crossed paths with Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, and many, many others.

After Bruce retired, the two settled in Lititz, PA to spend time with their grandson, James, child of their only daughter Sigrid. Jenny remained a voracious reader and was well-known in the community for her participation in literary and political discussion groups.

Per her request, there will be no funeral. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research.