The FAAAA was saddened to learn of the death of Brian Koch, OD, in December 2018. Often referred to as greatest of all practical jokers, he was very well known and very well liked amongst his peers.
Brian has three living brothers Dean, Kyle John & wife Clelia, Skipton. Brian passed at Liverpool Hospital on November 26th 2018. Born 17th March 1935 in Adelaide, he joined the Navy at 18 years of age in 1953/54 and served in HMAS Sydney and Melbourne.
Brian then worked at Garden Island plumbers store after Navy retirement. He never married or had children, and lived in Panania from the late 1950’s until his death.
Kyle John was ten years younger and was very close to his big brother Brian. As a little boy he remembered letters/mail arriving regularly in the 1950’s with money “blue five pound notes” inside. Brian allotted some of his Navy wages to both mother in Adelaide and Marjorie Lipman at Panania. He was an all round athlete who was a competitive boxer & runner. While employed at Garden Island he moonlighted as a bouncer at Kings Cross. Always generous and cheerful he was good company.
“Brian’s last wish was for his friends to enjoy “a good feed of crayfish and king prawns ” after his funeral. Two memorials are to be held. Sunday 17th March 2019 and Tuesday December 3rd. 2019. Both held on Sydney Harbour. Brian to get a “FIDDLERS GREEN” send off. Some of his local friends at Panania will get their prawns personally delivered to each in early March as they can not make the ferry.
The memorial ferry cruises are already booked for these dates, but the fine detail is yet to be published. Brother Brian gave instructions to fully cater for crayfish for everyone. It was a family tradition on Friday nights, established in the late 1940’s although at that time crays were a fifth of the price of chicken.
Clelia’s email address is cleliakoch@bigpond.com for anyone interested in attending. Cruises will be fully catered as per Brian’s wishes.
Brian always took joy in celebrating wins at the Trots /horse-racing with all around him. Generosity/sharing and mirth was in his DNA. His send-offs will be in keeping with the way he lived his life.
