David “Mike” Michael Kuhlman

After a long, courageous, and gracious battle with lymphoma, David Michael Kuhlman (“Mike”) passed away in his home in Newark, Delaware on 12, September 2021 at 78 years old. Despite his first name being David, he went by Mike. He also went by Grando, Papoon, Grandpa and Dad. He spent his final day surrounded by family, and passed with quiet dignity that evening. We would like to think that Mike left this world for the open arms of his beloved wife Marilyn (deceased 2007). Mike grew up in St. Louis, Missouri in a large blue collar family.  He met the love of his life, Marilyn, in their St. Louis high school and married her shortly thereafter.  After attending the University of Missouri, Mike and Marilyn moved to Santa Barbara California where Mike pursued a PhD in Psychology and Marilyn was an accomplished special education teacher. This was a special time in Mike and Marilyn’s lives: pursuing professional dreams; driving a Ford Mustang through the sublime beauty of coastal California; and living in a house in the hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean with a basset hound named Tarzan.

After earning his PhD at UC Santa Barbara, Mike went on to pursue a career as a research scientist and lecturer at the University of Delaware.  Mike was a respected academic both locally in the UD psychology department and internationally. Notably, Mike forged and nurtured a close relationship between the psychology departments at the University of Delaware and University of Warsaw in Poland.  He is remembered by his colleagues and students as a gifted speaker capable of weaving his personality into his presentations and for being “Inspired by ideas, warmth and humor.”  Mike retired in 2019 but remained a trusted colleague, friend and mentor through his last days.

Mike was devoted to the family he raised with his beloved Marilyn.  He was a builder of decks and tree forts; a storyteller and an utter goof; a sports mentor and a playmate; a concerned parent and a shoulder to cry on; and a doting and delighted grandfather.  Most of all, Mike was a father and husband.

Mike shared his love for travel with his family, sharing far flung places with them both in person, including time living in the Netherlands while he was on a Fullbright award, and over family meals where he regaled us with tales of his adventures abroad, or invited visitors from around the world to share a meal at his table. In addition to the Netherlands, Mike spent some time in Sapporo Japan as a Fullbright Scholar and had friends throughout the US, Europe, and Asia whom he loved to visit and host whenever possible.  Most recently he shared trips with his children and grandchildren to both Europe and Vancouver, BC.  Mike emparted his love of music to each of his kids, who each love and play music.  If Mike was visiting a home with a piano, that home would fill with the sounds of Mike playing seemingly endless renditions of “The Old Rugged Cross” or riffing on boogie woogie.  He also enjoyed noodling along to Ry Cooder records on his vintage Gibson acoustic guitar.

Mike was as comfortable with a hammer and nails or a cold beer and a game as he was in academic circles. Mike loved his family, was in love with the world and described his faith in terms of, “being certain that people are generally good.”

Mike is survived by his sons, Andy and Jamie Kuhlman, his daughter Jessica Kuhlman Shook, four grandchildren, his brother Gary and countless nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Mike lived a charmed life, and will be missed dearly by his colleagues, friends and most of all family.

Mike will be remembered at a private celebration of his life (date TBA). In lieu of sending flowers, donations can be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or the Cancer