Leslie “Les” Alan Kuehl was born December 21, 1945, in Hinsdale, Illinois, to Robert and June Kuehl.

Les grew up in Downers Grove, IL and graduated from Downers Grove HS in 1963. He attended Wisconsin State University – Whitewater where he earned a degree in Business Administration. Most importantly during his time at Whitewater Les met the love of his life, Pamela (Pick) Kuehl.

Les and Pam were married on Feb 24, 1968. Soon after, they moved to Naperville, IL. They welcomed a son Jeff in 1968 and had a second child Steve was born in 1971.  Les initially pursued a career in education. He taught elementary school and coached baseball and basketball at Naperville Central High School. In 1978, Les and Pam purchased a rural lot in Yorkville, IL where Les, with the help of his brother Roger, built the family home.

In the early 1980s, Les began his 30-year career in yearbook publishing. He started with Jostens and in 1986 moved to Walsworth Publishing. He was recognized for his positive leadership, sales training skills, and inspirational mentorship. His proven background in sales management led to numerous positions with Walsworth. In 2000, Les and Pam moved from Yorkville, Il to Olathe, KS after Les was appointed National Sales Manager. He retired from Walsworth in 2012.

Les was passionate about sports. In high school, he excelled on the baseball field. He was a diehard Chicago Cubs fan and was an avid golfer. He held memberships at Aurora (Il) Country Club and Shadow Glen Golf Club. Les was also a rules official for the Kansas City Golf Association.  Les enjoyed watching Jeff and Steve play basketball at Illinois Wesleyan University. Over the span of seven years, Les and Pam traveled thousands of miles and attended nearly 200 IWU Titan games. His other interests included weather, cooking, fishing, and traveling.

Nicknamed “Pop”, Les was a proud and dedicated grandfather to Jeff’s children Brody and Maddie and Steve’s children Carly, Brady, and Tyler. The grandchildren cherished the love and support Pop provided. There was no doubt in each of the kids’ minds that Pop was their #1 fan. Whether it was in person or virtually, Pop shared humorous stories, listened intently and passed on encouragement and wisdom to his adoring grandchildren.

Les is survived by his wife of 54 years, Pam, his son, Jeff Kuehl (wife Carrie) and their children Brody and Maddie of Bradenton, FL, his son, Steve Kuehl (wife Andra) and their children Carly, Brady and Tyler of St. Louis, MO.

A visitation and memorial service for Les will be on Monday, February 6th, at the Porter Funeral Home, 8535 Monrovia Avenue, Lenexa, Kansas.  The visitation will be held 1:00 PM and the memorial service will begin at 2:00 PM. The link for streaming is located on the Porter Funeral Home website. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in honor of Les to one of his favorite charities, First Tee of Greater Kansas City, 7501 Blue River Rd 64132. firstteekc.org