Obituary of Dominique Jacqueline Kuhn
Dominique Jacqueline (Villemaine) Kuhn passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family on October 8, 2024, at the age of 74 after a three year battle with metastatic colon cancer. Born in Suresnes, France (a suburb of Paris that also holds the current World Record for the longest baguette, a whopping 461 feet long!), Dominique attended the prestigious Parisian university, La Sorbonne. She was studying English with goals of becoming an English teacher in France. However, as an exchange student studying in Connecticut at the University of Hartford for a semester, she met her future husband, Harry. After a few years of long-distance courting, she moved to the United States at age 22 and was married. The couple ultimately planted their roots in South Plainfield, NJ. Dominique earned a Master's Degree in French from Rutgers University; she shifted gears and became a French teacher (although her knowledge and use of English vocabulary was exceptional). Staten Island Academy was her educational home for 35 years where her passion for teaching the language and culture of France was filled with song, food, and immersion trips to France, Canada, Morocco, and cultural events in NYC.
While she loved her career, Dominique’s real “joie de vivre” was her family. She is predeceased by her parents and older sister, and leaves behind two brothers who remain in France. Dominique also leaves behind her husband of 51 years, Harry Kuhn and their four children, Sandrine Kuhn of Albuquerque, NM, and three remaining children in South Plainfield, Gregory Kuhn and his wife Diane, Emily Raphel and her husband Mike, and Randy Kuhn and his wife Theresa. Dominique loved to spoil her six grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. She was “Aunt Dominique” to her many nieces and nephews in the States; she was “Tata Doe” to her nieces and nephews in France and Corsica.
Dominique was a humble, longtime contributor to St. Jude’s (in honor of her son who survived childhood cancer), Doctors Without Borders, Operation Smile, and a variety of Veteran groups in honor of her father, a World War 2 veteran.
A memorial gathering honoring Dominique will be held at McCriskin-Gustafson Home for Funerals, 2425 Plainfield Avenue, South Plainfield, NJ 07080 on Friday, October 11, 2024 from 5pm until 8pm. Prayers and eulogies will be held at 7:30pm to conclude the funeral home services. On Saturday, October 12, 2024, family and friends may gather to Hillside Cemetery in Scotch Plains for a 12pm committal prayer.