surrounded by his family. A veteran Air Force Officer, Wes proudly served in the
Vietnam War and spent thousands of hours navigating the world. A devoted fan of the
Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers, Wes was passionate about watching baseball –
especially while enjoying a beer – but nothing compared to his love for his family,
especially his wife and best friend Val, and his daughters, Jill and Karen.
Wes was born March 8t, 1940 in Detroit, Michigan, graduated from Romeo High School,
and attended Eastern Michigan University before joining the Air Force. He first met Val
in college; they were married in 1963 and started their family in the Philippines, raising
the girls in California, Arkansas (where he earned his MBA and became a Razorback
fan), Germany and Washington. In 1984, Wes retired at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and
the family settled in Olympia. He convinced Val to reside in Sun City West, Arizona
during the winter months, and spent the rest of the year trying to persuade her to move
there permanently.
Wes often pretended to be a tough guy, but secretly had a marshmellow heart, and
everybody knew he would help a friend at a moment’s notice. In Arizona, he enjoyed his
volunteer work at the ballpark during spring training but traveling the world with Val
was his true passion.
Wes was preceded in death by his parents, Betty and Wesley Kuhn. He is survived by his
wife Valerie Laird Kuhn, his daughters, Jill Susanne Wine (Scott) and Karen Lea
Whorton (Noel), his two sisters in Michigan, Diane (Dave) and Gretchen, and Linda
(Tom) in California. He is also survived by four grandchildren, Turner Wesley Wine,
Brady William Wine, Ruby Frances Whorton, and Nolan Henry Whorton. His family is
planning a memorial ceremony to honor Wes's life and military service.
A small family sevice is planned at Tahoma National Cemetary.
In lieu of flowers donations to “Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation” would be
appreciated.
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