Gilbert Edwin Koch

Gilbert Edwin Koch, 97, of Forest Park, Ohio, passed on August 3, 2022.  He was born August 15, 1924 in Tremont, Illinois. As a young man, he joined the Army Air Corp, serving as a meteorologist during the last two years of World War II. After the War, he served in the Air Force Reserve for 20 years, ultimately achieving the rank of Lt. Colonel (and sparking his subsequent life-long passion for The Unexplained, generally, and UFOs in particular.)  Gilbert graduated from the University of Michigan in 1948 with a BS in Chemical Engineering, which served him well in his varied career. At Allied Chemical, he helped to develop melamine plastics. Textolite and Formica both benefitted from his knowledge and experience in the field of laminated plastics. He finished his career helping to decommission the Fernald nuclear fuel reprocessing center.   On November 13, 1948, he married the wonderful Yveline (Lynne) M. Robinson (d. 2011) of St. Louis, Michigan and the couple went on to have five wonderful children: Belinda (Julie Amos) Koch, Cynthia Dunham, David (Rebecca) Koch, Elyse Newton (d. 2005), and Felicia (Malcolm) Stewart. Additionally, he is survived by five grandchildren: Kirsin Koch, Jennifer Walton, Sarah Burns, Hannah Stewart, and Ian Stewart; and one great grandchild: (David) Hollis Burns.