Robert David Couch, a former longtime resident of New Preston, died peacefully June 5 at his home in Sequim, Wash., after a long, courageous battle with brain cancer. He was 59. Mr. Couch was born August 20, 1950, in Torrington, the son of the late Allen and Barbara Couch. He grew up in the New Preston section of Washington and attended local schools. He graduated in 1968 from Washington High School, where he was an outstanding pitcher for Coach Ted Alex's baseball team and was a member of the basketball team. Mr. Couch was born into a family of car enthusiasts, and he worked at the family auto dealership, Norman W. Couch Inc. in New Preston, in his younger years. After a stint in the Air Force, Mr. Couch worked for few years at the family business and then started his own company, Racing International, with his friend, Phil Rosette. They made many trips to England to work on Formula 3 race cars, and Mr. Couch lived in London for a time. A skilled auto repair professional, Mr. Couch decided in 1977 to focus his talents on restoration of Morgan sports cars. He later moved his business to Millerton, N.Y., where he lived and worked until 1998, when he moved to Sequim, Wash. Mr. Couch traveled frequently in his business and became internationally known as an excellent Morgan restorer. He also became a Morgan parts dealer, and for years was the only such dealer in the United States. Over the years, Mr. Couch won dozens of awards for his intricate work on Morgans. He was called by experts "the premier Morgan sports car restorer in America" and some felt he was the best in the world. Some of his restorations were featured in Road & Track magazine. Mr. Couch married Sidney Barthell in Sharon in 1982. They made their home in Millerton before moving to Sequim to be closer to her parents. Mr. Couch is remembered as a man of great faith, optimism and enthusiasm. His son, William Couch, paid tribute to his father, saying, "My dad lived life to the fullest, and he never did anything halfway." As a boy, Mr. Couch became an avid fly fisherman, continuing a long line of fly fishermen in his family. He maintained his love of the sport his whole life and was an outstanding angler. He was a high handicap player in the early part of his golf career, but he devoted greater time and attention to the sport in his later years and became a low single-digit golfer with several sub-par rounds to his credit. Mr. Couch loved to travel and to visit with friends, and he did plenty of both in his life, especially after learning in 2006 that he had a cancerous brain tumor. He fought bravely against his cancer, and he also employed his trademark enthusiasm in helping to raise funds for the American Cancer Society 's Relay For Life in Sequim and Port Angeles, Wash. In 2009, he captained the team with the highest per capita funds raised in the Sequim Relay For Life and was honored as the Top Fundraising Individual. Mr. Couch is survived by his sister, Susan Cummings of New Milford; his son, William Couch of Buffalo, N.Y.; and his former wife, Sidney Barthell of Sequim. A memorial service will be held for Mr. Couch at the East Morris Cemetery in Morris at a date to be announced. The Rowe Funeral Home in Litchfield will handle the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Mr. Couch's memory to the American Cancer Society or the local Relay For Life organization.


Published in News Times on June 17, 2010