Tribute to Uncle Phil

Today marks six years since the passing of one of my uncles, Philip Lee Kuhn. An excerpt from his obituary told the basics:

"KUHN, Philip Lee, 81, of Glen Easton, W.Va., died Thursday, February 3, 2005 at home. Born in Moundsville, W.Va., on November 12, 1923, Philip was the son of the late Herbert and Nellie Church Kuhn. He was a retired employee of Marshall County Schools and a member of the Fork Ridge Christian Church where he served as an elder for 25 years."

He married Dorothy Maxine Moore on 16 December 1949 – it must have been a very special Christmas for the two of them that year!

Phil & Dorothy ~ 1949

If not for Dorothy's death in August 2004, they would have celebrated 55 years of marriage in December of that year. The couple raised their family of four sons on a farm at the end of Tunnel Ridge. I've heard that at one time Tunnel Ridge ran from Fork Ridge down to Big Grave Creek, but I only remember it ending at Uncle Phil's farmhouse up on the ridge.

For many years, Phil drove a school bus from his home to various schools in Moundsville and Glen Dale. The Marshall County School District also employed him as a truck driver and warehouse man - he delivered textbooks, school materials, food, janitorial supplies and various types of equipment all over the county. During his career in the school system, he made a lot of friends and was respected for his work ethic.

I remember Uncle Phil as a quiet, soft-spoken man. In the words of one of his first cousins, he “never had a harsh word for anyone” and “he had a gentle humor that he showed with family and friends.” If only all the world could be as kind and thoughtful as Uncle Phil was.