March 7, 1932 - January 25, 2012FAIRFAX - Chief Petty Officer John Leonard Kuhn Jr., 79, passed away peacefully at home on Jan. 25, 2012, with his family at his side, following a brief illness. John was born on March 7, 1932, in Passaic, N.J., the firstborn of the late Irene Frances (Anderson) and John Leonard Kuhn Sr. On May 29, 1951, John joined the U.S. Navy and began a career that would span 20 years and provide him with many useful skills and memories of adventures from around the globe. His time with the Navy took him to such faraway places as the Antarctic (Operation Deep Freeze, 1965-66), and to many ports of call around the world. John served aboard the Navy ships USS Seneca ATF 91, USS Cadmus AR 14, and USS Thomas J. Gary DER 326. On May 29, 1953, John married the love of his life, Jean Elizabeth Fuller of Portland, Maine. Jean accompanied John to his various duty stations throughout his Navy career which included Norfolk, Va., Brooklyn, N.Y., and Bermuda in 1961, where they lived for four years with their first three children, and Newport, R.I. John's final assignment with the Navy brought him to Vermont in 1967, where he completed his career at the Burlington Navy Reserve Training Center, retiring in 1970 with the title of Chief Engineman. Following his retirement from the Navy, John continued to use his problem-solving and mechanical skills while employed as a diesel mechanic with VT Railway and Mainline Tractor, and as a parts manager at Bourbeau International and Nordic Ford. Eventually he started his own home-based business by the name of John's Small Engine Repair, where he repaired "everything from tractors to toasters." John spent the final 15 years of his careerlife, employed as a school bus driver for Bellows Free Academy in Fairfax, starting in 1985 and retiring in 2000. John is survived by his wife, Jean; five children, Alisa Marie and her husband, Harold Smith, of Fairfax, John William Kuhn of Atlanta, Ga., Karen Elizabeth and her husband, Kirk Israel, of Brandon, Kathleen Ann Kuhn of St. Albans, and Frederick Charles Kuhn and his wife, Julie, of St. Albans; five grandchildren, Amber, Jenifer, Bjorn, Jessica, and Meagan; and five greatgrandchildren, Wyatt, Ely, Colby, Parker, and William. John is also survived by his brothers, Robert Charles Kuhn of Maine, and Clifton William Kuhn and his wife, Betsy, of South Carolina; and sister-in-law, Betty Kuhn of Maine. He was predeceased by his brother, David Walter Kuhn of Maine, in 2009. A private memorial service is planned for Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. Arrangements were made by the Minor Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Milton. Online condolences may be made to
www.minorfh.com. John's love for animals, both wild and domestic, is expressed through his family's request that memorials be made in his name to the Franklin County Humane Society, 30 Sunset Meadows, St. Albans, VT 05478. Memorials may also be made in his name to the Franklin County Home Health, 3 Home Health Circle, St. Albans, VT 05478, as an expression of gratitude from his family for their assistance during this very difficult time.
