Dorothy “Doro” Bush Koch, Barbara & George Bush’s Daughter: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Dorothy Bush Koch, George and Barbara’s only living daughter, was born in 1959 Dorothy has been married twice. Barbara and George had six children together, including another daughter who died at a very young age. Dorothy and Barbara were close, and Doro will no doubt miss her mother terribly now that she has passed away at the age of 92. Here’s everything you need to know about Doro Bush.

1. Dorothy Was Named After Her Grandmother

George Bush Presidential Library and Museum Audiovisual ArchiveDora Bush with George H. W. and Dorothy Walker Bush in 1962. In many ways, Doro looked a lot like her sister as a child.

Dorothy Bush Koch was named after her grandmother, Dorothy Walker Bush. Dorothy W. died in 1992, after suffering from a stroke at the age of 91. George Bush flew to Washington from Greenwich to be by his mother’s side, and Dorothy B. accompanied him for the heartbreaking goodbye.

Dorothy was born in 1959, six years after her sister Robin passed away. She was a light in her parents’ lives, as they still dealt with the terrible blow of the death of their oldest child. She attended school at a private all-girl college-prep school in Connecticut called Miss Porter’s School. She earned a Bachelor’s in sociology from Boston College in 1982.

2. She Was the First Person Baptized Publicly in China Since It Began Discouraging Religious Practices

George Bush Presidential Library and Museum Audiovisual Archive)George W. Bush and his sister, Dorothy “Doro” Bush, visit their father’s Liaison Office in China in this photo, taken in the summer of 1975.

In 1949, China began to discourage foreign religious practices. When Dorothy was visiting Beijing in 1975, she was the first person publicly baptized in China since that policy had started.

3. Her First Husband Was William LeBlond

GettyDoro Bush Koch, the sister of President George W. Bush, and Jenna and Barbara Bush, the president’s daughters, wait for the opening of the evening session of day one of the 2004 Republican National Convention August 30, 2004.

Dorothy and William “Billy” Heekin LeBlond married in 1982. They had two children: Samuel Bush and Nancy Ellis. They divorced in 1990. At the time she got remarried, she was working in the special events department of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington.

4. Her Marriage to Robert “Koch” Was Called a ‘Romeo & Juliet’ Romance

GettyDorothy Bush Koch listens to her husband Bobby Koch, 17 August 1992.

In 1992, she married Robert P. “Bobby” Koch, a marriage that some coined a “Romeo and Juliet” type of match. Before they were married, Koch was a top aide for House Majority Leader Richard A. Gephardt, Baltimore Sun reported. Gephardt, a dedicated Democrat, was a frequent critic of Bush. Their wedding was at Camp David and many referred to it as a “stealth wedding.” Only 130 people were invited, mostly family members. Even Vice President Dan Quayle was not invited. About 75 friends were invited to the rehearsal dinner. Her dress was designed by Arnold Scaasi, which at the time cost between $2,000 to $5,000. She was registered at Bloomingdale’s. She and Bobby met through mutual friends.

Dorothy and Robert have two children: Robert David and Georgia Grace.

Bobby Koch is the CEO and President of the Wine Institute, the public policy advocacy association of the California wine industry, representing more than 1,000 wineries. He is not one of the well-known “Koch brothers.”

5. She Raises Money for Charity & Wrote a Book about Her Dad

GettyDorothy Bush Koch (L) the sister of former US president George W. Bush, arrives for the official portrait unveiling of his brother and his wife Laura Bush May 31, 2012.

Dorothy wrote a book about her dad that was published in 2006: My Father, My President: A Personal Account of the Life of George H.W. Bush.

She spends much of her time fundraising for nonprofit organizations and charities. She served as co-chair for the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, and was also a fundraiser for her brother’s presidential campaigns.