‘Gentle giant’ Franklin County leader remembered for his steady service
A former Franklin County Commission is being remembered as a gentle giant who cared deeply about his community.
Robert “Bob” Koch died Sunday at his family’s home in Priest Lake, Idaho, his daughter Marcie Koch told the Tri-City Herald. He was 83.
“Once he retired that was his favorite getaway, to enjoy God’s country and beauty in peace,” his wife Connie Koch said.
“He was calm, he was a quiet man but a gentle giant,” Connie said. “What he said was strong, even though he was gentle.”
Lifetime of service
After decades of service to Connell and Franklin County, Koch had bought a pontoon boat and loved ferrying friends and family around on Priest Lake.
They affectionately called him “Captain Bob.”
Koch held a lot of titles in his years of service. He was Connell’s fire chief and later a fire marshal. He also owned All State Auto-Electric where he serviced farm equipment. In 1991, he was Connell’s Man of the Year.
He was born and raised and Minnesota, but his family later moved to the Tacoma area, but Koch fell in love with Eastern Washington on his fishing and hunting trips. Then he fell in love with Connie and moved his business to Connell.
“He wasn’t one to coach sports teams for my sister and I, but he taught us a lot about how customer service is number one and integrity,” Marcie Koch said. “Things you don’t really teach outwardly.”
His faith was important to him. He attended Connell United Methodist, now Grace United Community Church.
When his shop burned in 2001, Koch was in critical condition. Connie Koch said her husband was a fighter and warrior, overcoming so much after the fire and a battle with cancer.
Koch spent 37 days in intensive care recovering from burns over nearly 60 percent of his body, according to Herald stories at the time.
Franklin County commissioner
It was the love and support he received from the community that led Koch to consider a run for public office.
Koch was first elected to the Franklin County commissioners in 2004. He served 16 years.
The county commission was not something that was on his radar, but he fell in love with the opportunity it gave him to give back to the community and the myriad boards he served on representing the people of Franklin County.
“It’s hard to even name all the boards he was on,” Marcie Koch said.
“It was very important to him to serve,” Connie Koch said. “He was a strong Christian man, and we were so blessed with care and help after his fire accident. It was just the least he could do to give back to everyone.”
“He always said no matter what he would not move, he just had a deep appreciation (for the community) and serving was his way of saying thank you,” Marcie Koch said.
He was especially proud of the work done to restore the Franklin County Courthouse in 2006.
His work in that courthouse also had a huge impact on his community.
He loved hearing from community members and listening to their concerns.
“He truly cared about the people and their needs,” Connie Koch said.
He was also a steady voice at a time when politics were becoming increasingly less friendly. During the last few years of his time on the commission, other county leaders wanted to go in new directions.
He decided to retire in 2020, helping lead the county though much of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former Commissioner Brad Peck told the Tri-City Herald that he always appreciated Koch’s ability to disagree without being disagreeable.
“I know that’s a fairly common phrase these days, but I’ve not met many people in the political world who could live up to that adage,” Peck said.
Even if Koch disagreed, he would still listen and find a fair and balanced approach to problems.
“I think Bob was a very easy person to underestimate, his performance and his positive impacts on Franklin County I think are much deeper than most people realize,” Peck said. “I had the privilege of seeing it first hand.”
He said Koch is due a great deal of the credit for the hard work it took to strike an equitable balance between Benton and Franklin counties when it came to contracts and shared services.
Peck said Koch was instrumental in helping arrange processes where one county could take the lead and the other would sign on for the share of services that made sense, and it worked well.
“I will miss him, as will the many, many people who were privileged to count him as a friend,” Peck wrote on social media.
Koch was honored Wednesday morning during the Franklin County commissioner meeting.
Commission chairman Rocky Mullen read a resolution for Koch honoring him for dedicating “his career to improving the quality of life for the citizens of Franklin County through his integrity, leadership and commitment to public service.”
The resolution also praised his vital role in significant achievements, infrastructure improvements, development of facilities, advancement of public safety and strengthening of county operations.
Commissioners Mullen and Clint Didier praised Koch, thanking him for the help he gave them during their first years on the board and the invaluable mentorship he provided.
Didier said he was forever grateful for Koch’s ability to bolster Franklin County.
Commissioner Stephen Bauman said that while he didn’t know Koch well, Franklin County owes him a debt of gratitude.
“His legacy includes not only the projects he helped complete, but the lives he touched, the colleagues he guided and the community he helped build,” the resolution read.
This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 7:00 PM.
