Howard E. Kochell

Howard Kochell of Indianapolis passed away Sunday, February 7, 2021, just hours into his 63rd birthday.  His wife, Ruth, and his children, Sara, Jaclyn, Drew and Michael sat vigil during a two-week hospitalization at Community North Hospital.  Howard had a distinguished career as an attorney at Barnes & Thornburg, litigating cases throughout the country, beginning in 1983.  He was an honors graduate at Indiana University and a member of the IU baseball team.

Howard Eugene Kochell was born in 1958 to Margaret Mary “Peggy” Cain Kochell and Joseph D. Kochell in Lafayette and attended Edgelea Elementary, Tecumseh Jr. High and Jefferson High School.  There he gathered a variety of friends with his wit, humor and energy.  To family and friends, he was “Howie”.  He inherited his dad’s large bent nose and as a spirited competitor on the baseball field, teammates called him “Hawk”.  Through the 1970’s, he played summer ball beginning at Breakfast Optimist field on Lafayette’s south side and moved on to Pony League adjacent to Sunnyside Middle School.  Then came Colt and Legion baseball and 4 years at “Jeff” with the Jefferson High teams, all playing at Columbian Park’s beloved Loeb Stadium.  He hit with power and, with the glove, could play any position on the field.  Jefferson’s legendary Paul “Spider” Fields was his coach then, followed by Mark Strader leading Jeff’s highly rated teams at that time.  Hawk’s intensity on the field was balanced by comic antics in the dugout and off field.  One memory from the days with IU’s baseball team: in the first game of a double-header against Purdue played at Indy’s Busch Stadium, he knocked two balls over the wall for homers; then in game two, Hawk was beaned in three straight at-bats by Purdue pitchers!  (There is no record of a brawl on the field.)  But it wasn’t all fun and games.  The athlete also excelled in the classroom and carried a vision of a path for his future after the games ended.  Howard was a two-time recipient of the IU Varsity Club Scholastic Achievement Award for exemplary academic achievement while pursuing athletic endeavors.

Howard’s single-mindedness and work ethic inspired his siblings and others he met in later years.  He entered Indiana University in the fall of 1976 and graduated with highest distinction in accounting in 1980.  He graduated cum laude from the IU School of Law-Bloomington in 1983.  While attending law school, he taught accounting at the IU School of Business.  Immediately after obtaining his law degree, he joined the Barnes & Thornburg law firm in Indianapolis, became a partner there in 1991 and practiced for a total of 33 years before a disability forced his retirement in 2016.  Howard had extensive experience in representing employers and group insurers in employee benefit disputes governed by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). He was chairman of the Barnes & Thornburg ERISA Litigation Practice Group and had chaired the law firm’s Construction Practice Group. He also represented manufacturers in commercial disputes involving dealership contracts, dealership terminations, franchises, leases, and matters involving the purchase or sale of goods. Howard litigated throughout the United States, in both state and federal courts.  Howard was active at the national level of his profession, giving presentations and participating in panels at important conferences all over the country. According to his friends and colleagues, Howard was a tenacious commercial and creditor’s rights litigator.  He was particularly known for his wicked sense of humor, which often conveyed an insight or criticism of the situation at hand.  One of his law partners remarked that Howard was a focused and pragmatic problem solver, and was often a “go to” for other lawyers in the Firm to solve particularly complicated or vexing circumstances.

Awards, designations and accomplishments include:  Lafayette Jeff Baseball Hall of Fame (2018 Inductee); IU Varsity Club Scholastic Achievement Award (Baseball 1979, 1980); Indiana University I-Men’s Association (member, 44 years); Past President of the St. Thomas More Society of Central Indiana.

While an undergrad at IU, Howard met Beth Shumard and they were married in Greenfield, Indiana in 1980. Together they raised four wonderful children, each of whom made Howard proud.

In 2015, Howard married Ruth Bass, who was his loving wife and travel companion until his final days.

His wife Ruth survives him along with stepchildren, Jake E. Bass and Cydny A. Bass, both of Indianapolis. Howard is also survived by his first wife, Beth Kochell, of Indianapolis; daughters, Sara (Jared) Inman, of Indianapolis, Jaclyn (Tim) Edwards, of Sydney, Australia; and sons, Drew Kochell and Michael Kochell, both of Indianapolis.  Howard had four grandchildren: Graham, Caroline and Elle Inman and Leon Edwards.  Also surviving are brothers: Kelly Kochell, of Indianapolis, Steve (Nancy Studer) Kochell, of Rensselaer, Gail (Bob) Brickler, of Lafayette, and Doug (Anne) Kochell, of Indianapolis.  Howard is also survived by his parents, Joseph D. (Donna) Kochell, of Beech Grove and Peggy (Stephen) Lovejoy, of Indianapolis.

Flanner Buchanan-Oaklawn Memorial Gardens is handling arrangements.  The family will have a private service with a public celebration of life at a later date to be determined when the pandemic allows.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Jefferson High School Golden Broncho Club, 1801 S. 18^th Street, Lafayette, 47905.