Pat Koch Thaler

Pauline Koch Thaler (née Koch; April 11, 1932 – November 16, 2024) was an American educator, author, and activist. She held leadership roles in continuing education at Marymount Manhattan College and New York University and co-authored a book addressing the dynamics of working couples.

Early life and education Pauline Koch was born on April 11, 1932, in Newark, New Jersey. Her father, Louis Koch, was a Jewish immigrant from Austria-Hungary who worked as a furrier, and her mother, Joyce Silpe, managed their household. She had two older brothers: Harold, a rug designer, and Ed, who later became the mayor of New York City.

Her family moved to Brooklyn, where she attended Erasmus Hall High School. Later, she served as the dean of arts, sciences, and humanities at the New York University School of Continuing Education.

Personal life She married Alvin Thaler, a producer and director at CBS News, in 1956. They had three sons together; Samuel, Jon, and Jared. She was widowed in 2008.

Illness and death Thaler battled cancer for over 22 years, enduring multiple treatments including radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery, with periods of remission before the disease ultimately became inoperable. In her later years, she resided in a retirement community in Pompton Plains, New Jersey, and entered hospice care seven months before her death.

Thaler died on November 16, 2024, at the age of 92, choosing to utilize New Jersey's Medical Aid in Dying law to avoid prolonged suffering.