Howard L. Kuhl M.D.

1925 - 2020

Howard L. Kuhl, MD
March 31, 1925 ~ March 25, 2020
Howard L. Kuhl, MD, 94, beloved husband of Betty Carol Olivier Kuhl, passed away in Redmond, WA, on March 25, 2020, following a diagnosis of multiple myeloma in March 2019.
Howard will be deeply missed by his wife, two children, five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and many other extended family members, friends, and colleagues.
"Dr. Kuhl," well known and loved by many, was born March 31, 1925, in Witt, Illinois to parents John C. Kuhl and Carrie Myrtle Kuhl. He was preceded in death by his parents, two older brothers, one older sister, and his precious daughter, Karen Lee Kuhl.
Education was a driving force in Howard's life, and he was graduated from the University of Illinois in 1945 with a degree in Chemical Engineering while simultaneously completing the U. S. Navy's V-12 College Training Program. After serving in the Navy during WWII, Howard returned to the University of Illinois School of Medicine where he earned the degree of Medical Doctor in June 1950. He then interned at the US Naval Hospital in San Diego, California, where he met and married his wife, Betty, in 1951.
Howard's professional career as a surgeon was long and productive. Howard earned a reputation in the community of Modesto, California as a skilled surgeon who always wanted the best for his patients, and to that end joined a group of local physicians who, in 1962, opened the doors of Doctors Hospital of Modesto. He also loved teaching and was active instructing residents through the University of California. Howard retired from active practice in 1986 but continued to serve the medical community as a field representative for the JCAH from 1987 to 1989. Then he and Betty moved to Bellevue, WA, to enjoy full retirement and life in the Pacific NW near family.
Howard was a lifelong member and elder of the Presbyterian Church, a man who held deep convictions about faith, freedom, and family. He gave of his time, talent, and treasure to his family and community. When in active practice, Howard regularly volunteered at Modesto's City Hospital and he was also actively involved in the (then) Stanislaus County Association for Retarded Children, helping to spearhead new and better educational models for the disabled.
Howard leaves behind a legacy of family, a firm belief in the power of education, of hard work, and serving his fellow man. "Dr. Kuhl" will be greatly missed.
A memorial service is pending as well as interment at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington.
Howard's family has requested that donations be made to The Salvation Army for those wishing to honor his memory.
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