Obituary of Lester Eugene Kuhl

Lester Eugene Kuhl, Sr. died on April 27, 2017 at his longtime home in Pitman, NJ. Born on October 14, 1938 in the same farmhouse bedroom as his mother in Lemasters, PA, Gene's family moved to Pitman during World War II after his father was hired as a pattern maker at the Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia. Gene graduated from Pitman High School in 1957 and received his Bachelor's in mechanical engineering in 1963 from George Washington University, where he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Before graduating, he married his hometown sweetheart Maryann S. Dempsey in 1961; they were joined by their first son, Lester Jr., in 1963. Gene had been an Air Force ROTC cadet at GWU and in the fall of 1963 he became an active-duty airman. He served two years, six months, and eleven days, most of it while stationed at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. After his discharge, Gene continued to work in a variety of supervisory roles at Robins AFB, and during that time the couple welcomed the arrival of their second son, Jason, in 1971. By 1978 Gene and his family had returned north to Pitman, where he worked as an industrial engineer for the Department of Defense's Contract Management Division at the General Electric Company in Valley Forge, PA. Over the course of his career Gene accrued bookshelves of awards and commendations featuring language like "outstanding" and "excellence." He also found time to serve as president of the South Jersey chapter of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers and teach college courses about solar energy. Gene eventually became chief of Lockheed Martin's NASA/Space Operations Group at the Delaware Valley Plant Office and then was appointed manager of the Defense Contract Management Agency's Business Information Center. After retiring in 2002, Gene spent his time writing, skiing, and traveling with family. He was a beloved son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather. Predeceased by his wife Maryann, Gene is survived by his sons Lester Jr. (Maria) and Jason (Kristie), grandchildren James, Eric, Evan, and John Kuhl, and sister Nancy (David) Dresh. Friends may greet the family at 10am on Friday, May 5, 2017 in the Kelley Funeral Home, 125 Pitman Ave, Pitman, NJ. A memorial service will be at 11am. Memories may be shared at www.kelleyfhpitman.com.»(Do not delete this line. It does not print. Text that is to appear on web must be entered before this line)