Daniel Timothy Kuehl

On Saturday, June 28, 2014, Daniel Timothy Kuehl died quietly, at home, surrounded by those he loved, after valiantly fighting pancreatic cancer for two years. Dan had an effervescent spirit, approaching everything he did with optimistic energy and a warm laugh easily shared with the world.

Dan was born on July 27, 1949, in Erie, Pa., and spent the early part of his life here, before joining the USAF in 1971. However far away from Erie his career took him, both he and his beloved wife, Susan, considered it "home," and were delighted to move back in 2012, when the opportunity arose to teach in the Intelligence Program at Mercyhurst University.

After graduating from East High School, his academic background was in Military History. Dan became an undergraduate at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., where he studied Civil War history, and became lifelong friends with his Theta Chi fraternity brothers. He followed this with a Master's degree from Temple University, in Philadelphia, and a Ph.D. from Duke University, in Durham, N.C.

Professionally, Dr. Dan Kuehl was both a career Air Force officer (retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1994) and a career educator, with 18 years as a professor of Information Operations at the National Defense University's iCollege in Washington, D.C., from which he retired in 2012 to join the faculty at Mercyhurst. His AF experience included five years at the Pentagon, where he helped plan the air campaign against Iraq, during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, and where he was the division chief for the AF's landmark study of airpower, in that war, the Gulf War Air Power Survey (GWAPS). He was also a Missile Launch Officer in Grand Forks, N.D., during the late 1970s. Upon joining the faculty at NDU, he helped create the Department of Defense's first major educational effort, on what was then called Information Warfare, and until his retirement in June 2012, served as the director for NDU's program on Information Operations. In 2012, he received the Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award, from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Dan met his wife Susan in high school and began a love story with her that lasted over 45 years, and saw their lives shared over two continents and seven states. It was a life shared with one daughter, Kimberly, and a menagerie of dogs, cats, birds, and bunnies. Dan loved spending time with his family, his beagles, watching the birds outside, reading books, and watching baseball games on television.

Dan is survived by his wife, Susan; daughter, Kimberly; his grandson, Zachary; his much loved mother-in-law, June Novet; his brother, Gilbert (Jane) Kuehl; his aunts, Gertrude Koczyk, Ida Sache, Carol Anderson and Mildred Le Baran; brothers-in-law, Robert (Elaine) Novet and Ken (Lydia) Novet; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Gilbert and Jessie Kuehl of Buffalo Rd., his mother, Sophie Borczon, and his father-in-law Robert G. Novet.

Friends may call at the Dusckas Funeral Home, Inc., East, 2607 Buffalo Rd., on Wednesday from 2 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m., and are invited to attend a funeral service there on Thursday at 11 a.m., conducted by the Rev. Robin Swope, of St. Paul's United Church of Christ. Military honors will follow at Lakeside Cemetery, conducted by American Legion Carl Neff Post #571. Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Northwest Pennsylvania, 2507 Zimmerly Rd., Erie, PA 17606, or Disabled Veterans National Foundation, 1020 19th St., N.W., Suite 475, Washington, D.C. 20036.

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