Our Staff

Koch Funeral Home staff members  commitment to the community is a testament to their unwavering dedication to serving others
and helping families through the grieving process.  They are caring and experienced professionals who understand that each family
​is unique and has personal requests and traditions. These requests and traditions are of utmost importance to our staff of licensed funeral directors and certified spiritual director, celebrant and end-of-life doula. 

The PFDA is the oldest and largest state funeral directors association in the United States. He served two terms as the District 4 Governor and held the offices of secretary/treasurer and president-elect on the PFDA Board of Governors. He serves on numerous PFDA committees, including the Strategic Planning Committee, Grievance Committee, Cremation Committee, Policy Committee, and the Forms Committee. Glenn currently serves on the board of directors of the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science (PIMS). 

Glenn is a member of the Central Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association, National Funeral Directors Association, Selected Independent Funeral Homes, International Order of the Golden Rule and Cremation Association of North America. 

Glenn has always been respected and admired for being active in the community. He is currently a member of the State College Kiwanis Club where he has held various board positions and was the Holiday Basketball Tournament Chairman for 17 years. He received the George F. Hixon Award which is Kiwanis International Foundation's highest honors. This award is given to individuals who demonstrate strong support and service to their community. Glenn has always believed in giving back to his community and lives that philosophy daily. In 1913 the Koch philosophy was neighbor helping neighbor and Glenn has continued to carry on that dream. 

Early in his career Glenn was a charter member of the Hollidaysburg Jaycees holding many positions on their board and was president. He served 5 years on the Finance Committee and became president of the Hollidaysburg YMCA. Shortly after relocating to the Centre County Region, Glenn served on the board of directors and as the president of Easter Seals where he was the honorary recipient of the Brace for an Ace Award. This award is given to individuals who go above and beyond outstanding volunteer service on behalf of the people in their communities with disabilities. He was a board member of the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra where he served as vice president and president. He received the Amadeus Award which honors many years of devotion to Centre County and Central Pennsylvania for inspiring leadership and selfless contributions of time and talent that positively impacted the Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra organization. 

Glenn enjoys classical music, golf, sailing and gardening. 

Glenn and his late wife, Margery, came to State College in 1973. They have two children, Stephen C. Fleming, and his wife, Laura, who  live in State College and his daughter, Rebecca L. Ashby, and her husband, Andy, of Evergreen, Colorado. Glenn also has 4 grandchildren.

Jay attends many conventions, professional seminars and continuing education classes each year to keep pace with the ever-changing funeral industry and enjoys sharing his funeral knowledge with local groups when called upon so to do.

Jay, a long-time resident of Philipsburg, now resides in State College with his wife Sherrill. Together they have three children and four grandchildren. Jay and Sherill enjoy spending time with their family and traveling. He is a 45-year member of the Moshannon Lodge #391 Free and Accepted Masons. He is a life member of Philipsburg Elks Lodge #1173 where he served as Exalted Ruler in 1981 and 2002. He served as a District State Vice-President in 2004 and District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler in 2005. He is also a Life Member of the Reliance Fire Company    # 1 in Philipsburg. Jay is active in the Penn State booster clubs for both the men's and women's basketball teams and he is a member of the State College Quarterback Club. He is also a volunteer at the Coaches vs. Cancer annual golf tournament.

He is currently attending Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, immersing himself in a transformative educational journey that will further elevate his expertise in the funeral industry. Not one to ever limit himself, Calvin is also a certified meditation teacher and also actively pursuing a yoga instructor certification, planning to one day offer grief and trauma support through the transformative power of yoga.

Before embarking on a career in the funeral industry, Calvin traveled the United States and Canada, educating various food-based companies and universities about food allergies, gluten sensitivity/celiac, and intolerances. Presently, he serves as a member of the Standards Board at MenuTrinfo, where he continues to champion safe and inclusive dining experiences for all.

Calvin's further commitment to progress and excellence is exemplified through his membership in various organizations: He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the State College Choral Society. He is a member of the National Environmental Health Association, Theta Chi Fraternity, and the International Association of Professional Death Doulas. He was also a former Pennsylvania State Chairman and Regional Director of the United Rural Democrats, where he was responsible for fundraising and recruitment efforts across 15 states. Additionally, his previous tenure as President of Helping Hands exemplified his dedication to community service, making a significant impact on the lives of those in need.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Calvin finds inspiration in the loving presence of his wife, Ginger (Gigi) Together, they embark on numerous adventures, engage in captivating conversations that transcend countless subjects. He also takes immense pride in supporting and celebrating his daughter, Raienn (Ray) during her cheerleading performances and dance recitals. When not busy at work, Calvin enjoys watching black and white films, reading classic literature, studying mycology and going spelunking.

Calvin joined the staff at Koch Funeral Home in 2023.

In partnership with Koch Funeral Home, Jackie developed Helping Grieving Hearts Heal. This program helps and supports individuals as they grieve. Services include Having the Talk of a Lifetime, grief companioning, memorable funeral ceremony creation, remembrance service facilitation, legacy reception coordination, community outreach and end-of-life support.   

Jackie also offers individual and group spiritual direction, programs and retreats in wholeness, spirituality, grief, loss and forgiveness. In addition, she works with individuals, groups, organizations and businesses to provide supportive educational gatherings.

Jackie is the co-founder of Learning to Live: What's Your Story?, an initiative whose mission is to create educational and conversational opportunities for meaningful intergenerational exchanges on loss, grief, growth and transformation. She helped create  HEART – Helping Empty Arms Recover Together, an organization that provides support for individuals who have experienced pregnancy loss, still birth, infant death and/or fertility issues. Jackie is also a member of Grief Connection and writes articles for the Centre Daily Times, Centre County Gazette, Huntingdon Daily News and Centered magazine.
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 Jackie enjoys spending time with her family, jogging, and hiking in the woods. She and her husband, John, have two children, Jessica and James.

In the winter you can find her and the kids skiing at Tussey Mountain and in the summer you can find them splashing around at Welsh pool. The family enjoys going to the beach in the summer and spending long weekends on the Chesapeake Bay catching blue crabs.
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 Tyler is a PSU graduate who created, owns, and operates Total Mobile Cleaning in Centre County.  Katelyn is an IUP graduate who now calls Nashville home working as a Design Project Manager.

My career path has taken many different turns, but I have always been in positions where I interact with people.  From the textbook industry, both new and used books, to selling homes in 55+ communities, I have developed listening, understanding, and customer service skills that I continue to utilize in my current position as an administrative assistant at Koch Funeral Home.  I joined Koch Funeral Home in October 2022 and thankful that I am able to continue my desire to help others with compassion and guidance.

Being outdoors and especially on or near the water always reenergizes my spirit.  Mark and I enjoy boating at Raystown Lake, kayaking, camping, biking, and finding interesting breweries and destinations to visit.  Never one to be idle, I enjoy being creative in the kitchen and working on home projects.   You will see us out and about in Boalsburg walking our rescued fur baby, Bailey.

Merle is a member of the Gatesburg Lutheran Church. He is also a 7th degree member of the Bailyville Grange #1991, serving as chaplain, the Centre County Pamona Grange #13, the Nittany Antique Machinery Association and the Centre County Ag Forum.

Merle is the past president of the Pine Grove Mills Cemetery Association, having served 30 years. Currently, he is serving as overseer along with Melanie as the caretaker of the cemetery.

Merle enjoys camping, gardening, going to public auctions, collecting antiques, antique farm tools and Amish handmade quilts. 

As a trained hazardous materials emergency responder, he joined the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team Region 3 (DMORT 3) after 9/11/2001.  DMORTs are part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Disaster Medical System.  This works includes providing victim identification and mortuary services in man-made and natural disasters.  Dave is also a safety officer and respiratory  protection fit tester and was deployed for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (1995), the State of the Union Address (SOTUA 2012 and 2013), the Peace Officers Memorial (POM 2014) and the U.S. papal visit (2015). 

Dave joined Koch Funeral Home as a funeral home assistant in the fall of 2015.  His hobbies are camping and woodworking.

Prior to moving to State College, Mike worked part-time as an assistant for Robert Sellers Funeral Home.   For the past ten years, Mike and Brenda have owned and operated Larkspur House Bed & Breakfast in State College. He enjoys woodworking, golf, and fishing and attends Calvary Church at Harvest Fields.

Mike joined Koch Funeral Home as a part-time funeral home assistant in 2016.

Shawn enjoys volunteering for the Knights’ many events, assisting with their dinners and bingo and helping them maintain the landscaping for their facility.  

He enjoys all outdoor activities including walking, biking, and traveling.

Shawn joined the Koch team in early 2016.  He is very honored to work as a funeral home assistant in his community.