Carl “Ed” Kochert, purchasing representative, died on Sunday, March 6, at his home in Jeffersonville, according to Mike Kerstiens, director of Accounting Services.
Kochert, 55, died of a heart attack due to complications from chemotherapy.
Kochert was diagnosed with cancer in January.
The Clark-County native started at IU Southeast in August 1992 as an accounts payable assistant. Since February 1996, he has served as a purchasing representative, a position Kerstiens said Kochert gave his all to.
“He took pride in saving the university money and worked tirelessly to find good deals for all campus departments,” Kerstiens said. “He gave us everything he could while he was here.”
As a purchasing representative, Kochert’s main job was to oversee bigger purchases for the different campus departments. When the campus centralized last year, Kochert became a commodity agent, specializing in general purchasing areas like media.
Kerstiens said Kochert’s job was to locate a vendor and work with them on buying the right items.
Kochert and his work didn’t go unnoticed. Chancellor Sandra Patterson-Randles said Kochert always had a smile on his face and did terrific work.
“He would get the job done,” Patterson-Randles said. “I’m going to miss his smile.”
Patterson-Randles also said Kochert was well-known on campus as “Big Ed” and would always greet you with his smile.
“I never ran into Ed where he hadn’t been upbeat,” Patterson-Randles said.
Besides his huge smile and lively personality, Kochert also had a good sense of humor. Matt Springer, coordinator for Disability Services and academic adviser, collected a number of humorous quotes Kochert said throughout his time here.
“Wrong again, weather guy,” Springer said of one of Kochert’s quotes. “Wish I could be wrong all the time and still be considered doing a good job.”
When Kochert wasn’t at IU Southeast, he probably could have been found in his home garden or at the Valley View Golf Club, of which he was a member for 20 years.
Kerstiens said Kochert grew tomatoes, peppers, radishes and cucumbers and would bring some in for his fellow co-workers.
Not only did he grow the food, Kerstiens said he also canned the vegetables and would only eat his homemade sauces and salsas.
“He truly lived off the land,” Kerstiens said.
As an avid golfer, Kerstiens said Kochert would have prepared by mid-March what days he wanted to request off so he could play golf.
Kerstiens said he allowed Kochert to leave every Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. from March until September to play.
Kochert would spend hours on the course, walking from hole to hole. Kerstiens said Kochert said this was his exercise.
Kochert was diagnosed in January with cancer after going to the hospital because he couldn’t swallow food.
Tests showed a tumor was blocking his stomach entry, and the doctors started him on an aggressive chemo-treatment regimen. After being diagnosed, Kochert still went in to work.
In all his years at IU Southeast, Kerstiens said Kochert never called in sick or missed a day. However, the past month, Kochert didn’t feel strong enough for work due to the chemo.
Kerstiens said one of his staff members talked to Kochert a few days before his death, and Kochert had good news — the chemo worked and killed enough of the tumor to operate. However, the chemo was too strong for his heart.
“It was a shock,” Kerstiens said.
Kerstiens said before he died, Kochert was reading the Courier-Journal about the Jeffersonville High School girls’ basketball team winning the state title. Kochert was a passionate follower of Red Devil sports, having graduated from there himself.
One week after his death, people who knew him are still grieving. Kerstiens said it’s hard because he was used to seeing Kochert every day.
“For eight years, every Friday morning, I could count on a ‘Happy Friday, Mike!’” Kerstiens said. “I will miss that terribly.”
Kochert is survived by his wife, Marti, and his stepson, Rob, of Louisville.
By AMANDA FRENCH
Features Editor
aafrench@imail.iu.edu
