Saturday, February 27, 2021
I first came to know Kevin in 1975 at SUNY Fredonia and was shocked and deeply saddened when I read of his passing in the Fredonia Statement which I received the other day.
Kevin, or should I say "Kuhl" (as most of us referred to him, namely Chris, Ray, Cathy and others) and I hit if off immediately and we became lifelong friends. I have saved many of his handwritten letters to me from the 70's and 80's as well as e-mail from more recent years.
Kevin and I shared a lifelong passion for music and spent many nights in the dorm listening to rock, folk and jazz. Kevin's knowledge of music was absolutely encyclopedic and there were few artists or albums (in the genres he liked) that he was unaware of. For Kuhl the more esoteric the better. Periodically I would reach out to him to ask who or what he was listening to and he always had a few tasty suggestions of which I was completely unaware. He was a true font of knowledge in this regard and I always cherished his opinions and suggestions.
I never met anyone that came close to his wonderful taste and appreciation of not only music, but also books and movies. He did a very fair Humphrey Bogart impersonation which always cracked me up.
I will miss Kuhl and his wonderful approach to life, which I know was not easy.
I know nothing of his final days. I hope they were peaceful.
Gene Willhoft
gwillhoft@protonmail.com
