CUMBERLAND – Joseph Myers Koch III, 55, president of Dragon Cement and Concrete until his recent retirement, died Friday, May 20, at his home in Cumberland Foreside after a two-year battle with a brain tumor.

He was born May 12, 1950, the son of Joseph and Alice McMicken Koch, in Upper Montclair, N.J. He was raised in New Jersey and Bellevue, Wash., and graduated from Lakeside School in Seattle. He received his undergraduate degree in 1972 from Colby College in Waterville, and received his M.B.A. in 1978 from Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. He married Susan Cianchette in 1979 and together they raised two children, Alex and Gretchen.

He began his career at Boeing Corp. in Seattle, and later became vice president of finance at Cianbro Corp. He joined Dragon, New England’s only cement company, in 1985, and served as the company’s chief financial officer before being named president in 1993.

During his career, Joe made many contributions to the business community in the state of Maine. He set high standards and goals for himself and Dragon, and worked tirelessly to help employees achieve those goals. Under his tenure at the helm, Joe was a leader with vision. Dragon expanded and thrived, developing an intermodal plan to ship cement by barge from Thomaston to southern markets in Boston and beyond. He also led Dragon into the computer age and was the force behind the plant’s recent modernization. He cared deeply about his employees and the company. Everyone who met him knew immediately that he was a serious man of integrity, dignity and intelligence. Those closest to him appreciated his fun, loving nature, and his incredible sense of humor which were present throughout his final days.

He served on the board of the Maine State Chamber beginning in 1995, and helped build the organization into a viable, statewide business organization with more than 1,000 members. He served as chairman of the chamber in 2001.

He was also a board member of the Pine Tree Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and served on the boards of industry associations such as the Portland Cement Association and the Northeast Cement Shippers Association.

In spite of the demands of his profession, Joe was a devoted husband and father who cherished his family and home life. In addition to family vacations, Joe frequently enjoyed special times with Alex on fishing trips and with Gretchen at many sporting events.

He derived tremendous pleasure from the countless hours spent tending his home and gardens.

He is survived by Susan, his loving wife of 26 years, and their much beloved children, Alex and Gretchen. He is also survived by his parents, Joseph and Alice Koch, and a sister, Gretchen Moores-Hooper and her husband, John, all of Bainbridge Island, Wash., and a sister, Caroline Koch, of Priest Lake, Idaho; and many relatives and friends.

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