Elayne Kuehn
March 7, 1943 – January 26, 2022
Elayne Kuehn, a resident of Fair Oaks Ranch, departed her earthly bounds on January 26, 2022, after having given that insidious disease Alzheimer’s the good fight. We envision her now in Heaven – being the consummate educator, organizing classes for all the kids – devoted to education and her elementary school charges as their school principal – and loving her family in spirit.
Elayne was born in Kansas City, Missouri, to Robert DeBolt Munro and Bernice Adrienne Sprotte Munro on March 7, 1943. After graduating from Southwest High School in 1961, she attended Coe College in Iowa, and later completed a bachelor’s degree in education at Washington State University as an Air Force wife. A master’s degree at Stephen F. Austin University in Texas came later in the 1980s.
She married John McClure August 16, 1964, and out of this union were two children: Mark R. McClure and Caryn L. McClure.
She began her career as an educator in Kansas, Minnesota and Texas, but as single mom in the 1980s, she branched out into other endeavors by forming and successfully running “Discover Houston,” a tour company catering to Houston tourist and business visitors.
In later years, she exhibited her interior decorating skills as she and her dear friend Karen Nielsen formed “Property Pizzazz,” a successful interior design/household staging enterprise.
She ultimately returned to her first love and her true calling – education – and began teaching at Wilson Elementary in the Houston suburbs, rising through the ranks to assistant principal.
An avid tennis player throughout her life, she developed lifelong friendships through this activity. It was through social tennis that she met a new love in her life – Nolan Kuehn – who knew immediately that he had found his partner in tennis and in life. They married in 1988, with Nolan bringing a son, Jason Kuehn, from his former marriage to the family. Together, in 33 years of marriage, they played in the World Oilmen’s Tennis Tournament in Houston on 21 occasions, where many long-lasting friendships developed.
Success in education continued for Elayne as she accepted a position with the Spring Branch School District in Houston and assumed the role of principal of Memorial Drive Elementary School. Elayne’s ability to successfully work with high-end parents and her innate love of kids and concern for their future resulted in their school being selected as a National Blue Ribbon School under her tutelage. She accepted this prestigious award in Washington, D.C.
Elayne retired from education in 2003, and she and Nolan moved to Fair Oaks Ranch in the Texas Hill Country to continue their tennis pursuits. Never one to stay idle for long, she played league tennis and went to nationals on one occasion. She expanded her sports interests to golf, which she loved for the additional social aspects.
She leaves many golf friends (“Teevas”) to mourn her passing. With the dawning popularity of pickleball, she transferred her tennis skills to the pickleball court, but admitted to being frustrated trying to memorize the arcane rules of the game. However, she never wavered in her efforts to developed new friendships.
She was ever the organizer, and served a two-year term as chair of the board of governors of the Fair Oaks Country Club and was a member of the Women of Fair Oaks Ranch.
Elayne was world traveler, visiting Nolan on temporary work assignments in Italy, Mexico and South Korea, and vacationing in Europe on numerous occasions (including Scotland on an ancestral fact-finding sojourn). Adventures included traveling by oil company van in Thailand, from Bangkok to Phuket in the south, to procure a new air travel ticket – as the uprising in the capital had closed the airport. Adventure was Elayne’s second name!
Nolan and Elayne were married at the end of 1988 upon his return from South Korea. They enjoyed 33 years of life’s pursuits, adventures and friends from so many different arenas. It gave life to the old adage of “it’s not the years in your life, but the life in your years.”
Elayne’s years were fulfilling, giving, developing countless friendships, having that ever-present smile and partnering with Nolan. Two like-minded people, joyfully in love with each other!
Elayne is survived by husband Nolan Kuehn (Fair Oaks Ranch); son Mark McClure (Melissa, Texas); daughter Caryn Cullinan (Cayce) of Denver, Colorado; step-son Jason Kuehn (Sandra) of Houston; grandson Ryder Cullinan (Denver, Colorado); brother Bill Munro (Northbrook, Ilinois); cousins Bob Sprotte (Sheri) of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Bill Sprotte of Arizona; and numerous nieces and nephews.
There will be a Celebration of Life for Elayne on Saturday, March 12, 4-8 p.m. at “Ingenhuett on High,” 731 High St., Comfort, Texas.
The family asks that in lieu of floral remembrances, any donations should be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org).
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