Gottfried Von Koschembahr ’56

On Dec. 17, 1995, we lost Gottfried to a five-year battle with cancer. Gottfried (Jeff to many), youngest of 13 children, was born in Switzerland and with his family fled Europe in 1939. He graduated from St. George's School in Rhode Island, majored in modern languages as a member of the special program in the humanities at Princeton, and served as a lieutenant in the Field Artillery before undertaking an investment banking career.

Gottfried had many troubled years until he found Alcoholics Anonymous, 22 years ago. His service as a sponsor in that organization influenced the lives of an extraordinarily large number of persons, who found in him inspiration, guidance, and love in an abundance seldom seen. His phone was constantly busy. He found his devoted wife, Elise, in 1987.

Gottfried, who also served for a number of years as '56's Annual Giving class agent, recently received the class's distinguished classmate award, in recognition of his service to others in need. His ability to ignore his illness and other complications and unflagg-ingly and cheerfully devote himself to others and their problems is a model for all of us, not to be forgotten. All of us are losers by his death.

The Class of 1956