William Kuhlke

William Lonnie Kuhlke was born on December 1st, 1929 in Denver, Colorado, where he spent his childhood. He passed away on June 17th, 2024 in Alamosa, Colorado after a brief illness. He was a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather as well as being an accomplished professor, scholar and actor.

Dr. Kuhlke graduated from Adam State University in Colorado then served in the United States Air Force in Air Force Intelligence. After receiving an honorable discharge, he attended the University of Kansas and the University of Iowa where he earned a Ph.D. He then joined the faculty of the Theater Department and the Department of Slavic Studies at the University of Kansas, eventually rising to the rank of Full Professor. Towards the end of his academic career, he was honored by the State of Kansas with the State's highest honor for a professor, the Distinguished Teacher of Humanities Award. His dissertation on the work of the Russian Director Yevgeny Vakhtangov effectively introduced him to Academia as did his translation of Notes of a Director about the work of the Russian Director, Alexander Tairov.

In addition to being a beloved teacher and accomplished scholar, Dr. Kuhlke acted in dozens of leading roles in theatrical productions at the University and in Regional Theaters. He also acted in several movies including, the iconic film The Day After.

Dr. Kuhlke was married to Glennys Kuhlke for forty-eight years until she passed away in 1999. He is survived by his second wife Betty Jean Myers, his daughter Karen, his son Kevin, son-in-law Suman Beros, daughter-in-law Mary Bitel and his grandchildren: Kathryn Beros, Julia Beros and William Cameron Atticus Kuhlke.

In the words of William Shakespeare:

His life was gentle, and the elements

So mixed in him that Nature might stand up

And say to the world ' This was a man.'