W. John Koch was born in the German province of Silesia. Following World War II, John studied history at the University of Würzburg before emigrating to Canada in 1954. After graduating in 1960 from the University of British Columbia with a Master's degree in social work, he worked in the social welfare and health care field in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and, from 1964 to 1987, in Alberta. Since retiring, John has devoted his time to writing.

John has published articles in professional journals in Canada, the United States, and in Poland. He is the author of the illustrated volume Schloss Fürstenstein (since 1945 Zamek Książ). He also wrote the German version of the biography of Daisy Princess of Pless, Daisy von Pless, Fürstliche Rebellin. Both books were published in Germany in 1989 and 1990.

In 1995, John and his wife Maria completed To the Town that Bears Your Name, a previously unpublished story by the German-Canadian pioneer and financier Martin Nordegg, written for his daughter Marcelle in 1912. Translated from German by Maria with a brief biography written by John, this book was published by Brightest Pebble Publishing Co. in 1995. It was followed by the German edition, Zur Stadt, die Deinen Namen trägt, in 1996. In 1997, Brightest Pebble published John's biography of Martin Nordegg, Martin Nordegg, the Uncommon Immigrant.

In 2003, John opened his own publishing firm, BOOKS by W. JOHN KOCH PUBLISHING, located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In the same year, he published Daisy Princess of Pless - A Discovery, the English version of John's earlier biography Daisy von Pless, Fürstliche Rebellin.

Published in March 2004, his most recent book NO ESCAPE - My Young Years under Hitler's Shadow, has been translated into German by his wife Maria and awaits its publication in Germany.