Deceased December 17, 2022
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In Memory
Steven Ross Koch was born in Baltimore on Dec. 21, 1946. When his family first saw him, their consensus was that he looked like a little monkey. From then on, he was always known as Monk. Obviously, members of the Koch family didn’t take themselves too seriously. As it turned out, neither did Monk.
At Amherst, Monk was a two-time All-American lacrosse goalie for the Lord Jeffs and captain of the undefeated 1968 team. On the field, Monk was a fierce competitor. Off the field, he took life in stride and was greatly admired by his Beta brothers for his quick quips in dicey situations. “Well, Scully, it looks like I’ll be late again tomorrow,” and “Drive out, the tables have turned,” were two of his best, but it’s safe to say that anybody who ever spent any time with Monk has a story.
After Amherst, Monk went to the Wharton School of Business and eventually ended up as the head of currency exchange for Texaco. In 1975, he and his wife, Bee, moved to Rye, N.Y., which was close to Texaco’s offices in Harrison, and, in large part due to Monk’s expert coaching of Little League and lacrosse teams, the couple soon became highly respected members of the community.
On Dec. 17, 2022, Monk retired from a 17-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. He is survived by Bee, six grandchildren and three sons: Andy, who was captain of BC lacrosse; Mike, who was captain of Lafayette lacrosse; and Brian, who was captain of Dartmouth lacrosse. Yes, the lacrosse gene runs strong in the Koch family. What also runs strong is the determination to win, and there is no question Monk was a winner. And, boy, we sure will miss him.
Monk’s Beta brothers