Alan Keusch, 80, passed away on July 15, 2024 after an exceptionally valiant fight against cancer. He was a true survivor. Diagnosed with prostate cancer at the young age of 55, he went on to live with cancer for over 25 years and was able to grow old enough to spend wonderful quality years with his wife Kathe, his daughters Renee Tulenko and Stephanie Keusch, his son in law Larry Tulenko and his two grandchildren, his pride and joy, Paige and Trey. Before his passing, he made sure to express how proud he was of all of us.
Alan was a man of tremendous character. He led our family with sage advice, good humor, and just the right amount of spirited debate when needed. He preferred a tight group of quality friends and family and did not have patience for phonies, agendas, and material things. Alan was the “one you called” if you needed advice on all practical matters. He was extremely handy and resourceful and could jerryrig almost anything to get it to work. He was good humored and loved to tease. You were indeed in his inner circle if you were lucky enough to be given one of Alan’s original pet names. You were (un)fortunately stuck with the name and called it on repeat.
Alan was incredibly bright. Right up to his last days, he was conferring with everyone about his medical issues. Knew all of his meds, how they worked, read all his own reports, and could diagnose his problems on level with the medical community.
Alan was an early believer in quality of life. After graduating college at the NY Institute of Technology, he was drafted into the Vietnam War during the Tet Offensive and was stationed overseas in Germany where he eventually became an Army Sergeant. He spent the majority of his career as an auditor and accountant for the federal government. But he was not a fan of climbing the corporate ladder, and never chased a fancy title or big league job. In fact, he cringed about those things. He simply wanted to have a nice life, good work hours, and time for himself and family. It should come as no surprise that he retired young at the age of 55 to do what he wanted in life. He was the quintessential family man, and beloved brother to Haneen (Peter) Kaplan, and his deceased siblings Noah Keusch and Preston (Josephine) Keusch (who we just lost this past July), and Michael (Marcia) Cohen. Prior to their deaths, he was very close to his parents (Mollie and Murray), was a superstar son in law (to Sylvia and Phil Cohen), and up until the very end, a wonderful, loyal husband to Kathe for over 57 years. He was the single best model for a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, and grandpa.
He was just as good a friend. He was a thoughtful helping hand to all. Let him look under the hood if your car was broken. Fix anything. Review important documents. Find the perfect route. Carry the boxes. Advise on all matters, on any topic. He did it all. Could be counted on to do it and to do it well. And hated any recognition for it.
Alan was athletic and also a sports fan. He used to play racquetball, basketball, and bike ride. In his retirement, he got great joy betting at the Monmouth Park racetrack and watching college hoops and his beloved Knicks.
Alan’s life was filled with love and meaning and his legacy will live on in his adoring family, who promise to properly “schmill” the next generation and tell his stories.
The family requests a private funeral service at the cemetery on Wednesday July 17th, but welcomes all to observe shiva at Kathe and Alan's home at 3 Belfast Avenue, Hazlet, NJ 07730.
Shiva will be Wednesday, July 17 from 7-9pm, Thursday, July 18 from 1-4pm and 7-9pm, and Friday, July 19 from 1-4pm.
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