Margaret Mary Koch

March 13, 1928 - January 26, 2021

Lake George – Margaret M. (Cook) Koch, 92, of Lake George, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at her home with her family around her. Born March 13, 1928 in Rumson, New Jersey, the daughter of the late Frederick and Katherine (McLaughlin) Cook. Margaret was a graduate of Cathedral High School in New York City. Yes, she was an excellent student despite skipping class to see Frank Sinatra at the Paramount Theater. She later attended Hunter College. She met her Navy submariner while he was home on leave and he would become her husband. On September 28, 1947, she married the love of her life, Raymond J. Koch. They went on to enjoy 61 wonderful years of marriage and raise their four children before he passed away on July 9, 2009. Margaret journeyed through life with a joyful spirit filled with a love of adventure but grounded in faith. Although she was an accomplished horsewoman, pianist, mathematician, food enthusiast and Sinatra Fan, her greatest joy was her family. She was also so grateful of how well people treated her and how magically good things happened to her, she would gleefully proclaim, “I must be a Princess!” The self proclaimed moniker of “Princess Margaret” stayed with her in her later years. Never one to stay home, Margaret, loved dining out, traveling, and adored her horses and loved to care for them at her home in Warrensburg. Even though she became legally blind, she was an adventurer; from zip lining in Lake George, parasailing and deep sea fishing in Pensacola, and even borrowing Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s car and driver in Galway, Ireland to find her mother’s home. Her greatest pride and “bragging rights” were her children: Raymond A. (Virginia) Koch of Mahopac, Carol A. (Joseph) Miele, of Lake George, Nancy A. (Brian) Christiansen, of Saratoga and Thomas J. (Kelly) Koch, of Gulf Breeze, FL; nine grandchildren, Laurie Koch (Michael) Smith, Dr. Julianna M. Koch, Emily Koch (Christian) Russo, Joseph R. Miele, Margaret (Giovanni) Canepa, Katherine Christiansen, Sarah Christiansen, Claire Christiansen and Thomas A. Koch. She had 4 great grandchildren, Dylan, Nolan, Nico and Dante; her brothers, Frederick L. Cook and Professor Gerald Cook, nephews, Robert L. (Joan) Cook and Stephen (Phylisse) Cook and her New Jersey cousins Maureen Carter, Peggy Lilivelt and Susan Delaney. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 11:00 am on Monday, February 1, 2021 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 50 Mohican Street, Lake George. Family and friends may call from 10 am until the time of services at the church. She will be laid next to her husband at the Gerald BH Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery on Monday at 2:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Little Sisters of the Poor 2999 Schurz Ave, Bronx NY 10465.