Obituary of Richard E. Kuhn

Camden resident Richard Edward Kuhn, 84, died peacefully Tuesday, Sept. 11, with his wife, Teresa, at his bedside in Sussman House at Pen Bay Medical Center. He was one month shy of his 85th birthday. A native of Latrobe, PA, Richard was born to Anna and Edward Kuhn on October 19, 1934. After completing his elementary and secondary education in Latrobe, he entered Pennsylvania State University and graduated in 1952 where he also earned a Russian Specialization Certificate, a new program introduced in the U.S. because of the Cold War. He went on to enlist in the U.S. Army and graduate with competency in Slovene from the Army Language School at Monterey, California, where he met and married Teresa in 1958 in nearby Pacific Grove. He served in Army intelligence in Europe. Following military service, he began a successful career in publishing, first as English editor of Wadsworth Publishing Co., a subsidiary of Prentice-Hall and the first college text book publisher established West of the Rockies in Belmont, California. He would later direct the publications program for the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies as a consultant. In the 1980s, Richard changed careers and entered the field of economic development, serving as director of ED programs for several Northern California counties before forming a consultancy partnership, which took the lead on a number of significant projects, including the conversion of Ft. Ord, a major West Coast infantry training installation, into California State University, Monterey Bay. He retired in 1994 and began extensive travels with his wife, before settling in coastal Maine, a region they came to love. In addition to Teresa, his wife of 60 years, Richard is survived by his son, Ronald (Linda) and five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was predeceased by a daughter, Lisa.