(Seguin) – Fitting for the season of giving and being thankful, Guadalupe County Sheriff Arnold Zwicke is ensuring the lasting memory of Captain John Koch who the department lost back in April following a courageous battle with leukemia.
Earlier this month, the sheriff’s office dedicated its training room to Koch’s memory. In fact, the dedication took place on Nov. 5, Koch’s birthday.
“I would say it’s very fitting to honor John Koch with this training center. John has been here over 35 years. He trained a lot of people. A lot of these guys started off on his shift when he was back on patrol working nights as a corporal sergeant and even lieutenant. So, it’s very fitting that we honor him with this. Today was his 61st birthday,” said Zwicke.
Not only does this tribute honor Koch’s service but it also commemorates a piece of county history in which research shows him to be the longest serving deputy.
“I grew up here. I’m 66 years old and I remember the deputies going back to Sheriff Medlin and we can find no one who was here over 35 years as a deputy,” said Zwicke.
“He would have been here. This was his second home. He was here early in the morning, and he left late. If anything happened, he was in the middle of it making sure everything was done right. That was the type he was. He really cared about the job, the people – he took pride in his work.”
Meanwhile, Koch was not only a dedicated public servant, he was also a good community partner. Senior Pastor Marcus Biggott, of Emanuel’s Lutheran Church, says it’s no surprise that Koch is being recognized in this way. He says a training room is fitting for the training that was also extended to his church family.
“His support of our congregation was immense. When we were going through the grief of figuring out how to be a faith community, an immense massive tragedy. He would say, we are going to figure this out. We are going to create a space and an opportunity – you have all of these events coming up, how can I be a resource? Do you want me to stand at the front door and greet people? Do you want to think about safety and security on your campus, think about how people get in and out of your building? So, he wasn’t just an officer in the community, he thought about safety and security, thought about the ways that we were going to be a really healthy congregation when we gathered,” said Biggott.
A golden plaque with a photo now hangs just outside the new Captain John D. Koch Training Center located on the second floor of the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office.