By Rebecca Goodman
Enquirer staff writer

SPRINGFIELD TWP. - John Anthony Kuechly, founder of J&N Auto Electric Inc. in Woodlawn, died Tuesday of brain tumors at Hospice of Cincinnati in Blue Ash. The Springfield Township resident was 72.

He was a tinkerer, a recycler and an artisan - a man who could turn a retired Metro bus into a beautiful motor home.

"If it was broken, he could fix it. If you had an idea about something, he could create it," said his daughter, Mary Ann Middendorf of Newport.

"He was extremely resourceful and never wasted a thing. His woodworking projects were magnificent - perfectly measured, cut, joined, sanded, stained and finished."

A member of the Woodlawn Kiwanis Club, Mr. Kuechly also supported several organizations, including Little Sisters of the Poor, the Ursulines and Healthy Moms and Babes.

"John was a very civic-minded individual," said longtime friend Val Dolwick of Fort Wright. "He was in the Chamber of Commerce of Woodlawn (and) always attended all the events."

Mr. Kuechly helped organize the Kiwanians' Thanksgiving food drive and taught computer skills to the Sisters of Mercy.

"Dad was always helping others," his daughter said.

Born in Cincinnati in 1931 to Nick and Emma Kuechly, Mr. Kuechly grew up in Clifton and graduated from St. Xavier High School in 1949.

He was a Marine from 1952 to 1954. When he got home, he started J&N Auto Electric and built it into a successful business, still thriving 50 years later.

"He always tried hard and if he encountered difficulty, he would try harder to reach the best, most practical and economical solution," his daughter said.

He was preceded in death by a son, Anthony Kuechly, in 1953.

In addition to his daughter, survivors include his wife, Mary Lee Tombragel Kuechly; two other sons, Tommy of Evendale and Nick of Loveland; three other daughters, Diane Sullivan of Monfort Heights, Carol Daum of Minneapolis and Paula Schababerle of Evendale; a sister, Ruth Ann Hanley of Indianapolis; and 14 grandchildren.

Visitation is 9 a.m. today, followed by a funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at St. Bartholomew Church, 9375 Winton Road, Springfield Township.

Memorials: Hospice of Cincinnati, 4310 Cooper Road, Cincinnati, 45242; or Healthy Moms and Babes, 3131 Queen City Ave., Cincinnati 45238.

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E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com