NJ Golf Mourns the Passing of Dr. Al Kuchler, Longtime Board Member and Rules Official

Al Kuchler (r) presents the Mid-Amateur Championship Trophy to 2013 Champion Trevor Randolph 

Dr. Albert Kuchler of Ringwood, N.J., a longtime NJ Golf Board Member, Tournament Chairman, and rules official for both NJ Golf and the USGA, passed away at the age of 73 on Thursday, November 27.

“Dr. Al” as he was known to his friends in the NJ Golf community joined the NJ Golf Tournament Committee in the early 2000s and served nearly 20 years as a rules official and co-chairman. He scored a 100% perfect score on the Rules of Golf Exam and was a lead rules instructor for NJ Golf for many years. For his exceptional service to NJ Golf, he was awarded the Honey Gantner Award in 2018 for his exemplary volunteerism and service to the game. Additionally, he served on the NJ Golf Board of Trustees and the U.S. Junior Championship Committee. Dr. Al was a member of the former High Mountain Golf Club in Franklin Lakes and later Basking Ridge Country Club.

Born in Philadelphia, Pa,, and raised in Voorhees, N.J., Al attended Paul the VI High School in Haddonfield, followed by Marquette University and then graduated Fairleigh Dickinson School of Dentistry in 1977. He was a board certified Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon and worked at his two locations in Wayne and Hawthorne, with his business partners in the offices of North Jersey Oral Surgeons. He was part of the on-call staff at Chilton Hospital, Wayne General, and Valley Hospital.

Besides being an avid golfer with a keen understanding of the Rules, Al was a devoted sports fan – especially college basketball and March Madness – as well as the Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles, and Flyers.

Al is survived by his wife Toni (nee Scordato), his extended family and many friends. Visitation will be held Monday, December 1 and Tuesday, December 2 at Oakland Memorial Home, 330 Ramapo Valley Road in Oakland, N.J. A full obituary and service details is available by clicking here.

Memorial donations may be made to the NJ Golf Caddie Scholarship Foundation (click here) or visit https://njgolf.org/donate or Memorial Sloan Kettering CC, Head and Neck Department for Research, https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/types/head-neck.