Jay Koch

Biography

Born in Rechnitz, Austria and raised in Brooklyn from the age of three, Julius Koch, Jr. had been a New York City police officer who walked a beat and retired with the rank of sergeant in 1969. At retirement, he moved to California, where Ronald Reagan was then governor. His second career began when his wife Sylvia secretly sent Koch's photo to the National Enquirer's Ronald Reagan look-alike contest in 1980. He had the same thick dark hair worn in a pompadour style as Reagan, and in addition to the basic facial resemblance, had the same winning smile. Koch learned to quote some of Reagan's most famous lines and parlayed this talent into a career that lasted until his own final illness. In addition to his film appearances as Reagan, he "was a fixture" at special events for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Koch also appeared with other presidential impersonators at public events and private parties. He made television appearances and commercials in his Reagan role, including billboards posted in Europe. He made $1,000 per day for an appearance in film being made in Hong Kong. Although he had had cancer since the summer of 2006, the ultimate cause of his death was heart failure, according to Associated Press reports which quoted his daughter, Maureen Foster. An enthusiastic sailor, he was a WW II veteran of the United States Navy. Burial at sea was scheduled for April 14, 2007. His family included his wife Sylvia; his eldest daughter, Maureen Foster; another daughter, Jackie Schaeffer, and a son, Brian Koch. He had met his wife at a roller rink in Brooklyn before the move to California. They lived in Port Hueneme, California, near Simi Valley.