Elke Kuhlman Obituary (1940 - 2023)

Elke Kuhlman Passed away on December 16, 2023 in Bellevue, Washington, with her husband, Harold Kuhlman, and daughter Daphne Kuhlman by her side. She was born in Koblenz Germany, a city she loved, on the Rhein River. She graduated from Business college in Rheydt, and also later received a diploma from the Chamber of Commerce in Duesseldorf for foreign correspondence work in three languages. During her first year working for a manufacturing and export company of machine tools, she met her loving husband of 62 years, who was in Germany for a 6-month training program to open and manage dealerships in the United States. They married and started their life together in Buffalo, New York, where their daughter Daphne was born. They subsequently moved several times, ending up in Bellevue, Washington in 1974, enjoying their life together. Elke was artistic and enjoyed many things, hosting beautiful dinner parties for their many friends, as well as painting, making ceramics, decorating their beautiful home, and always dressing elegantly. She gave Daphne a wonderful childhood, encouraging many areas of exploration and activities. They enjoyed travel, visiting family in Germany and Pennsylvania. Destinations included South America, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand – also multiple countries along the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Elke is interred at Tahoma National Cemetery with her husband, who passed November 10, 2025, in Washington State.