Thomas Austin Kuhlman

Thomas Austin Kuhlman, 92, passed away on Wednesday, December 3, 2020. He was born to Louis and Rachel (Wilson) Kuhlman on April 28, 1928 in Hancock County, Ohio.

Raised in the rural area near Van Buren, Ohio Tom went fishing and hunting whenever he could. His love for Colorado began at the age of 13, when in 1941 he traveled out west with a family friend. Along with seeing the sites he spent time on a cousin’s ranch in Western Colorado.

Tom graduated from Van Buren High School in 1946. Despite his small size, he was quite the athlete earning varsity letters in basketball, football, and baseball. He loved playing hockey with his friends being able to skate backwards as fast as he could forwards.

Tom married the love of his life, Harriet Peneton of McComb, Ohio on January 15, 1949. The couple had 3 children. They lived their early family years in the areas of Findlay and Van Buren. Tom worked various jobs as a plumber and in the oil industry.

While living near Van Buren he played on their local baseball team as their shortstop. He was a switch hitter and a fast runner. According to his nephew, there are still people in that area today who remember watching Tom Kuhlman play, his speed, and his skill at the game. Around 1951/52 Tom had a tryout with the New York Yankees. Hall of Fame pitchers, Lefty Gomez and Red Ruffing pitched to Tom for his tryout. He was offered a contract with the Yankees’ minor league team but needed to turn the opportunity down because of family obligations.

Tom was elected to the Van Buren Town Council in November 1955, where he served a term of two years. He was also proud to have served as Sunday School Superintendent for the Presbyterian Church.

The family moved to Littleton, Colorado in the winter of 1958, where Tom took a job with Marathon Oil Company at their research center. He became supervisor of their purchasing and supply department. During his time with Marathon, he

completed 3 years of college courses at the University of Colorado, Findlay College (Ohio), and Arapahoe Community College (Littleton). Tom retired after a 30-year career with Marathon.

Tom’s love of Colorado included everything outdoors, hunting, fishing, camping, skating, skiing, and sharing that with his family. A typical outing on a Saturday or Sunday would be a drive in the mountains for breakfast, a picnic, or just for ice cream. He shared a love of music, dancing, and travel with his wife Harriet. The couple visited many favorite destinations in North America and Hawaii.

He was preceded in death by Harriet (his wife of 70 years), his parents, and his 5 siblings. He is survived by his brother-in-law Monty Wilch, his children Teresa Marie (Terry) Lummerding of Grande Prairie, Alberta Canada; Thomas “Tony” (Debbie) Kuhlman of Thornton, Colorado; and Jacqueline (Bill) Blyth of Windsor, Colorado; and several grandchildren, great grandchildren,