Ross Joseph "Joe" Kuhner

Ross Joseph (Joe) Kuhner – 1947-2019 Ross Joseph Kuhner (Joe) was born on March 5, 1947, in Columbus Ohio, the oldest of seven children to Ross and Bernice (Klarman) Kuhner. He passed away unexpectedly of cardiac arrest on August 11, 2019, surrounded by his extended and loving family, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Maumee, Ohio. A former resident of Columbus, OH, Joe and his wife of forty-four years, Cheryl Ann (Vallade), have resided in Maumee, Ohio for the last twenty years. Joe was a 1965 graduate of Bishop Hartley Catholic High School (Columbus, OH) and a 1970 graduate of Ohio University (Athens, OH). He retired from Columbia Gas, and began a second career with Gas Technology Institute, as a trainer of engineers in natural gas industry, before retiring to a life mowing his lawn, being Papa Joe to his cherished grandchildren, and fattening up the army of squirrels in the backyard. Preceded in death by his parents, sister Mary Kuhner Lyons, brother-in-law Douglas Brehm, his father-in-law Robert Vallade, and niece Elise Renee Vallade. In addition to his best friend and wife Cheryl, Joe is survived by his adoring children, Steven (Jennifer) Humphrey, Krista Kuhner (and her mother, Mary Kay Sturbois), Ross (Leane) Kuhner, and Jeremy (Jamie) Kuhner; cherished grandchildren Olivia, Owen, and Alex Kuhner; siblings: Patricia Kuhner, Linda (Richard) Vallade – long story, Susan Brehm, Thomas (Suzie) Kuhner, Cindy (Steve) Perry, Robert (Polly) Vallade, Sandy (Bob) Lindner, Jeff Vallade; mother-in-law Leona Vallade; and more nieces, nephews, grand-nephews and -nieces, and close friends than we can possibly list. An accomplished carpenter, Joe hand-crafted exquisite furniture and gifts for family and friends, of course first starting with precise pencil drawings on graph paper. Whatever he couldn’t fix with his dozens of organized clamps, could always be fixed with WD-40 and/or duct tape. Joe loved Major League Baseball and maintained his lifelong love of the Cleveland Browns, even while surrounded by his Pittsburgh sports-loving family. Under careful tutelage by his mom in the ways of cheating at euchre, Joe passed on his knowledge to his baby brother, and the duo spent many decades hood-winking unsuspecting partners. The family will receive family and friends for visitation at Walter Funeral Home, 4653 Glendale Avenue, Toledo, on Thursday, August 15, from 3:00-8:00 p.m. Joe’s funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 6149 Hill Avenue, Toledo, on Friday, August 16, at 10:30 a.m., with his burial to follow immediately at Toledo Memorial Park, Sylvania. Our family is indebted to the dedicated ICU nursing and medical staff at St. Luke’s Hospital in Maumee for their kind and gentle care of Joe, and assisting our family through this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org). With a hearty laugh, Joe celebrated many important events with his large, loud, and ebullient families and friends. The laugh, his wicked sense of humor, and extensive vocabulary of curse words when woodworking, will be missed more than we can express.