George William, Jr, 89, passed away on Wednesday June 17, 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Kathleen. He is survived by son, Kent and daughter-in-law Beth, also of Cincinnati, and sister Jeanne Faust of Newton, IA. George was a past president of the Iowa Chapter (1972-1973) and a 2009 inductee of the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame.
He was born on October 11, 1925 in Lorimor Iowa to George and Dorothy Kochheiser. He graduated from North High School in Des Moines in 1943. He served in the US Army in World War II in both the European and Pacific theaters with the 341st Infantry Regiment, 86th Division and was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Upon discharge from the Army he enrolled at Drake University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in History graduating Phi Beta Kappa. More importantly Drake University is where he met his future wife, Kathleen, in Shakespeare class. They married between their Junior and Senior years of college in 1948.
Following graduation Mr. Kochheiser began his 41-year career with EMC Insurance, beginning as a clerk in the file room and retiring in 1991 as President and Chief Operating Officer. He continued serving on the board of directors until 2008. Mr. Kochheiser achieved the CPCU designation and focused much of his work on promoting advanced insurance education within the company. He was instrumental in the creation of a marketing department for the company including the agent recognition trips involving worldwide travel.
Mr. Kochheiser was a passionate aficionado of jazz and was fortunate to have heard many of the great musicians in person. He and his wife and son traveled throughout the mid-west as fans of sports car racing. He was a car enthusiast throughout his life and never tired of driving and appreciating automobiles. Following retirement the Kochheisers relocated from Des Moines to Scottsdale Arizona where they lived for 20 years. Mr. Kochheiser loved the desert climate. In 2007 they moved to Cincinnati to be near their son.
Memorial service will be held in Des Moines in September. Details will be available through the funeral home: www.gilliganfuneralhomes.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the George and Kathleen Kochheiser Family Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, 1915 Grand Ave., Des Moines, Iowa 50309. Condolences may be expressed at www.GilliganFuneralHomes.com.
