Richard Kenneth Ochs June 18, 1950 - January 7, 2025

Richard Kenneth Ochs says: “Auf Wiedersehen” to family and friends on Earth. He departed on January 7, 2025. Born on June 18, 1950, he was the only child (“And loving it!”) of the late Marie E. Ochs and Kenneth J. Ochs, both of Allentown. He often referred to them as “the greatest parents ever”. He was husband to the late Darlene L. (Tami) Ochs. Before moving to Lehigh Township, Northampton County, he was a lifelong resident of South Whitehall Township, Lehigh County. His wife Darlene and he were members of Cedar Church, Cetronia. They served on the consistory, and he was a regular lay reader.
He enjoyed their annual trips to Wildwood Crest, New Jersey, and Cape May, New Jersey, along with their cruises and bus trips. His trips to Germany were both of a business (school) and pleasure (vacation) nature.
As a high school student, he was enrolled in a study program through the University of Innsbruck at Mayrhofen, Austria, during the summer of 1968. He earned 2 undergraduate degrees in German Social Studies, with a concentration in History, from Kutztown State College (University).
He was accepted into the challenging immersion program of studies at Middle College Graduate School of Languages (German), Middlebury, Vermont. Upon successful completion, he was a student at the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz Germany. He earned a M.A. in German.
Herr Ochs was a German teacher for many years in the Pleasant Valley School District, Brodheadsville, PA (Monroe County), at both the middle school and high school levels. During his tenure, he taught 7th grade German Exploratory, 8th grade German Exploratory, Advanced German 1, Advanced German 2, regular German 1,2, and 3 and German Culture. He often referred to the World Language Departments as “family”. He often remarked: “We were a nice, friendly department, always willing to help each other”.
In addition to traveling and following the Phillies, he was always adding on to his extensive music collection of vinyl, cassettes, and CDs. If you wanted to hear rock, pop, country, polka, classical, and comedy, he had it. If you wanted to hear something by the Beatles or the Beach Boys, he had it.
Before her sudden illness, Darlene and he would frequently go antiquing, collecting Royal Doulton figurines, character jugs, and statues.
He was fortunate to have experienced 3 “15 minutes of fame” during his life. #1 Many years ago, he performed 12 minutes of stand-up comedy on the stage of the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York. #2 He did an animal rescue at Cape May Point, Sunset Beach, near Cape May, New Jersey. He went out into Delaware Bay and rescued a sea gull trapped in a fishing line. #3 Both Darlene and he were featured in Bill White’s column in the Morning Call on January 26, 2017. The article, entitled “Unusual Proposals” told of how and where they met and the first 6 months of their relationship. During that period, she gave him 4 chances to “get his act together”. He did, resulting in her acceptance of his proposal of marriage at his mother’s grave in the early spring of 2000. They were inseparable for a total of 25 years and 4 months, including being married for 22 years and 5 months.
Survivors: Pumpkin, their cat, cousins, and friends. He was predeceased by his wife Darlene, and various pets.
A private gravesite will be held in the Highland Memorial Park, Allentown. Arrangements by Stephens Funeral Home, Inc. www.stephensfuneral.com.