Obituary of Kuhn Roberts Caldwell

KUHN ROBERTS CALDWELL

Kuhn Roberts (Robin) Caldwell passed away at this home in the early evening hours of Tuesday, June 19.  He died, his hands held by his life partner of 38 years and husband of 8, Richard Hartz.  Kuhn had been ill with cancer for 9 years and after a strong, determination to live long, hard and well, finally succumbed to the pain and rested.
That same determination to live hard and well characterized all of his 80 years.  He was born on April 5, 1938 in Roanoke, VA of Annie Caldwell, nee Roberts and Jesse Caldwell.  His father and mother had been living in New York City in the mid-30’s both holding professional careers, he as an engineer and she as an art instructor.  When, in 1937 they realized that Annie was going to give birth to their first child, they decided to return to Virginia where their child would be born a Southerner and a “Virginia Baby”.
Kuhn was raised in the home town of both parents, Radford, Virginia and, learning from his father, - once famously but affectionately recognized by the local Kiwanis club as “The Best Liar in Radford” for his outrageous tales - became a master story teller himself and loved to regale his friends with stories of his childhood in Radford.
After being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in the 1960’s, he entered the Richmond Professional Institute as an art student and graduated three years later.  He spent the bulk of his professional life as the National Art Director for Christian Dior Cosmetics in New York City. Kuhn’s life was centered around art, from his meticulous personal grooming and dress to the interior design of his home to the mastery he demonstrated in water colors.  As he had learned story telling from his father, he learned about art from his mother, an artist herself.  His eye was exacting and his ability to discern shades of color and tone and then convey them to paper was uncanny.  His work is owned by individuals in Cragsmoor, NY, throughout the United States and abroad.  His career as an artist was tempered - to the amazement and frustration of some of his contemporaries - both by his total lack of interest in, if not distain for, competing in the art world and by his rabid determination to paint only when he was inspired and when he wanted to.
In 2004, he and his later-to-be husband moved from Manhattan to a home from which Kuhn could not refrain reaffirming his passion.  In 2010 he and Richard married in Danbury, CT.  Kuhn rapidly became immersed in the community of Cragsmoor where he earned a reputation for story telling, dry wit, laughter, generosity and huge, bubbly parties.
Most of all, however, Kuhn brought to his own life and the lives of those around him joy and an appreciation of even the littlest opportunities to live life.  He had little patience for those who were too insistent on being perennially unhappy or more focused on self-aggrandizement.  More privately, he was a deeply sensitive, caring man who was often brought to tears in private by someone’s loss and pain.
He will be truly missed by his friends and by his husband whose own life was immeasurably and richly embraced and transformed by their love for more than half of his own life.  Kuhn is not only survived by his husband, Richard, and their two Golden Retrievers, Lottie & Hayley, but by the many, many friends who chose him.