William John Koch

MADISON - Our beloved William John “Bill” Koch died on Thursday, March 4, 2021, he was born in Madison on Wednesday April 12, 1972. He attended elementary school in McFarland, before relocating with his family to Ellicott City, MD for Middle School and High School. Bill attended University of Maryland in College Park, where he studied English and Literature and early adulting. Bill spent most of his adult life in the Madison area as a union stagehand and member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees - IATSE Local 251. He worked throughout Wisconsin in concert halls, theatres, movie production, sporting venues, and Summerfest - anywhere that performance happened on a big stage. He loved creativity and art in all forms. Bill had a commanding knowledge of literature, music, theatre, the arts, and numerous creative endeavors. Academically and conversationally, he was ferocious and loved to challenge and debate (often to hilarious effect) and blend intellect with the inane. Bill would expound on the Renaissance transition to the Age of Enlightenment as a political force - then spend an hour pretending to be a tugboat named “Boaty McBoatface” just to make his niece and nephews laugh or play a pirate on a Treasure Island scavenger hunt so convincingly and intensely that he would forget his real voice once the hunt was over. He was a culinary savant. Bill spent many years summering at Rainy Lake in Ontario, Canada. There he enjoyed the wonders of remote Canadian island living; fishing, playing cards until the wee hours, working on island and home improvements, and hosting family for many weeks of adventures each year. Later in life, Bill transitioned from playing Lacrosse, where he was a self-proclaimed “goon”, to becoming an assistant coach for Lacrosse in middle school and high school. He was loved and cherished as a son, grandson, brother, nephew, uncle, friend, and colleague, and having his love and friendship was a full and amazing thing. He was thoughtful, witty, gregarious, generous, and very attentive both with people and animals. It is challenging to portray the spirit and many facets of a person fully. One component of Bill’s life that was both heartbreaking and defining was his decades long struggle with chronic alcoholism. Many people saw the best and worst of Bill through different windows into his struggle, and lost sight of the complete person we knew and loved so fully. He was hilarious, charming, sensitive, bright, loving, competitive, proud, quick-to-laugh, clever, loyal, warm, an epic storyteller and a consummate character. As his struggle progressed, he became more distant, in pain, desperate, solitary, and suffering. Alcoholism led Bill to some difficult and dark times, and while his family and many others had always supported him, and hoped, believed, and prayed that he could fight the disease and enjoy recovery, that simply did not come to pass. The disease advanced and eventually, overtook him. Bill is survived by his parents, Robert “Bob” and Margaret “Peg” (Miller) Koch; his sister, Kathy (Peter) Nordeen; nephews, Austin and Camden Nordeen; brother Bryan (Shelley) Koch; with nephews Lucas and Landon Koch, and niece Carina Koch. In addition, Bill has numerous cousins, aunts, uncles, and extended relations that knew and loved him. Bill was preceded in death by his grandparents, John and Loretta Koch; Ernie and Bernita Miller; uncles, Ernest Miller Jr., Ken Timpel, Harry Nielsen, Franklin and Bernie Koch, and his aunt, Margaret Niesen. Bill’s life will be celebrated with a Mass of Christian Burial at ST. ANN CATHOLIC CHURCH, 323 N. Van Buren St., Stoughton, on Friday March 12, 2021, at 11 a.m., with Father Randy Budnar and Msgr. Gerard Healy concelebrating. Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 11, 2021, at GUNDERSON STOUGHTON FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 1358 Hwy 51 at Jackson St., Stoughton from 4:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. and again on Friday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of Mass. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St. Ann’s Catholic Church Endowment Fund, The Beacon (Catholic Charities) or St. Vincent de Paul, Stoughton Chapter. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson Stoughton Funeral & Cremation Care 1358 Hwy 51 (608) 873-4590