Tillie Paller Koch

Tillie Paller Koch passed away peacefully on Friday, August 1, 2025, at the age of 94 in Houston, Texas. She was a caring mother, sister, grandmother, and friend to many, with an independence and strength of will that carried her through her life. Tillie was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and was raised in Memphis, Tennessee, along with her sister, Faye, and brother, Sonny. She attended college and earned a degree as a registered nurse, which led to her lifelong nursing career. And much later in life, as she was approaching her 50th birthday, she went back to college at the Texas Woman’s University, taking night classes while still working, completing her bachelor’s degree. Tillie married in 1954, and by the early 1960s, the family had grown to include sons David and Jeff. They then moved to Houston. When, in the middle of the 1960s, a divorce intervened, Tillie then started leading the life of a single mother raising two sons while working full time as a nurse. Somehow, in this time, she still managed to establish and build many strong and flourishing friendships that lasted for decades. She succeeded in this, in part, with the help of her synagogue, Beth Yeshurun, which offered support to Tillie and her sons, both of whom were Bar Mitzvahed at the synagogue. She also began a lifelong participation in Hadassah, holding many positions at different levels, and travelling on occasions to see the Hadassah hospitals in Israel, of which she was extremely proud. She often pointed out the hospitals’ treatment of all injured patients, equally, regardless of ethnicity, which resonated with her deeply as a nurse. She also donated her time to charities such as meals-on-wheels, and the gift shop at Beth Yeshurun. Besides having many friends in Hadassah, she enjoyed friendships formed from Mahjong games, attending ballet performances, and watching Astros baseball games. Later in life, mostly after retirement, she very much enjoyed traveling throughout the world with her sister Faye. She is survived by her sister, Faye Bars, her sons Richard David Koch (Ale) and Jeffery Koch (Susan), and her grandchildren Mitchell Koch, Drew Koch, Ken Koch, and Scilla Koch. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to www.Haddasah.org or to the charity of your choice. A graveside service will be on Monday, August 4, 2025, at 11:00 AM at Beth Yeshurun Post Oak Cemetery, 7445 Awty School Lane, Houston, Texas 77055.

Tillie Paller Koch

February 23, 1931 - August 1, 2025