John B. Kuhns

1947 - 2024

John B. Kuhns

Etna, NH - John Barton Kuhns, a former publisher of the Valley News who led the paper to growth and journalistic distinction, died of complications of the flu in Boston on February 20, 2024. He was 77.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska on January 28, 1947, to Connie Kuhns and Barton Kuhns, John grew up in Omaha with long Nebraskan roots, and he never lost that sense of place. His paternal great-grandfather settled in Omaha in 1858 to serve as the Lutheran missionary for the country west of the Missouri River. John visited his maternal grandfather, a livestock broker, in his office at the Omaha stockyards. His father was an attorney and his mother played violin in the Omaha Symphony Orchestra. John loved his years at Omaha's Central High School.

John's life took him west to Stanford University and east to Yale Law School.

Newspapers and seeking truth were deep in John's blood. He was editorial page editor of his high school paper. During law school he published a piece in the Yale Law Journal about the constitutional right to protect confidential sources. He then went to Washington, DC to practice law at Williams & Connelly, where he became a partner. He often noted that his timing was fortuitous. He arrived at the firm after it started representing The Washington Post and he counseled the Post throughout Watergate and beyond.

Much as he enjoyed private media practice, John chose to use his talents in other ways. He always lived very intentionally. He joined The Washington Post on the management side, starting the National Weekly Edition, serving as Deputy Managing Editor in the newsroom, and managing labor relations and personnel.

In 1993, John left urban life to become publisher of the Valley News in Lebanon, NH, where for 15 years he promoted and nurtured aggressive top-quality news coverage, robust editorials, healthy revenue streams, and young talent. His commitment to journalistic excellence was exemplified by the decision to commit a year of a reporter's time to produce The Other Side of the Valley, a 2001 series that explored in depth the problems of poverty and the struggles of working people amid plenty in the Upper Valley.

John enjoyed financial management, to the paper's benefit. Perceiving the threat that the Internet posed to newspapers, he bucked industry trends by refusing to give digital content away for free, just one example of how he reached independent judgments. After stepping down as publisher, he served as chair of the board of Newspapers of New England, the parent company of the Valley News and other New England papers, until 2021.

John put an even greater premium on his personal life. He chose friends who have been an essential, valued part of his universe. He was inseparable from his dog Tugger, a boxer. He and his wife, Janet Milne, relished a true, graceful partnership before their marriage on Christmas Day 1992 and ever since. His home was his castle.

Life was not always simple. A hereditary kidney disease imperiled health. Two friends, Jody Hovland and Dick Cass, donated kidneys that allowed him to continue to thrive for 23 years, and numerous other friends explored the possibility of donation. John deeply appreciated the support he received and jealously guarded the gifts of health.

John continuously considered how to make his personal world and the larger world better places. He lived thoughtfully and fully, with clear rationality and sensitive emotion, and with mischievous humor and quiet kindness. His innate good judgment was invaluable not only to him, but to Janet and many others.

Donations may be made to the Upper Valley Haven in Vermont, the Upper Valley Humane Society in New Hampshire, or Omaha's Central High School Foundation. A private person, John chose not to have a memorial service.