Kathy Koch
Susan Eastman
Kathy and her husband, John, were high school sweethearts. After they graduated from the University of Wisconsin, John entered the Army. He trained at Fort Benning, Ga., and was assigned to Fort Ord for the duration. They returned to Madison, Wis., where their twins, a boy and a girl, were born. After the birth of a second son, Kathy went back to school to get her nursing degree and worked in ICUs for the balance of her career. John’s work took them to California where they lived first in Orange County, then Huntington Beach.
After 35 years, Kathy and John were ready for a change. Friends in Scottsdale encouraged them to look in the greater Phoenix area. They knew they wanted an active 55-plus golf community and soon settled on PebbleCreek. They came for a sales weekend and found exactly what they wanted in an existing home. That was four years ago in 2020, when COVID-19 was affecting everything, slowing assimilation into the community.
Kathy first tried painting but didn’t feel that was exactly right for her. She headed to ceramics and found her artistic home. An animal lover, she enjoyed making outdoor art of various critters for areas around a fountain. She also likes creating Christmas gifts for family and friends from the many options available.
Ceramics is not her only interest, however. She and husband John are inveterate travelers and have visited every continent except Antarctica. By cruise, plane, or car, they experienced the exotic, ancient, and natural wonders of our fascinating world. Kathy recounts her favorite trip was to the Galapagos Islands. Intrigued by Darwin’s book “On the Origin of Species,” she was thrilled to walk among nesting albatross, observe the famed turtles, and snorkel with sea lions and colorful fish.
In keeping with her love of animals, another favorite trip was a safari in Kenya. The majesty of the animals matched the striking panoramas. From high in a hot air balloon, she watched wildebeests migrate across a broad plain.
A 19-day excursion to China was quite an introduction to a very different culture. Whether walking in the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square of Beijing, up the uneven steps of the Great Wall, or viewing the silent Terracotta soldiers, historic scenes clashed with modern compared to the cities of Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Not to be overlooked was their travel through Turkey where wonders abound in the ancient city of Ephesus, famous for its Temple of Artemis completed around 500 BC, one of the seven wonders of the world. Their exploration of other significant sites preceded the starting point for a cruise that took them through the eastern Mediterranean into Greece and the Hellenic isles of Santorini, Crete, and Mykonos.
The wonder and mystery of travel now brings them home to PebbleCreek where valued friends and new artistic challenges help keep Kathy engaged and vibrant.