Penn Hills residents are missing a friendly face. Don Kuhn Sr., founder of David Kuhn Auto Body in Penn Hills, died July 15 surrounded by his family.
It was his 82nd birthday. Well known in the community, he owned and operated his shop for 51 years before retiring in 2018. He leaves behind his high school sweetheart and wife of nearly 64 years, Sara Kuhn, 81.
They began dating during their senior year at Penn Hills High School. Describing how Kuhn caught her eye, Sara said he reminded her of James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause.” “Don was the rebel,” she said.
“He had a ’57 Chevy standard shift, and he drove it like a race car.” His wild side was one thing, but his eyes made her stay. “But what probably motivated me the most,” she said.
“He had absolutely the most beautiful blue eyes.” Sara said Kuhn’s bright-blue eyes were complimented wherever he went. “All my teachers, when I was a senior and he started showing up at my classrooms, they would all say he had eyes like Paul Newman,” Sara said.
Over 63 years of marriage, she said they were each other’s support system. They didn’t need anything else, she said, because they had each other. Kuhn first worked as a clerk at a food market but had always dreamed of starting his own business.
Sara said the two did not have much money when they first married, but she supported his decision to follow his dream of owning his own business. In 1967, the opportunity arose to buy a garage on Sixth Street and .