Jacqueline Lee Puhl

May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

Dr. Jacqueline Lee Puhl, Ph.D., passed away on April 27, 2026, at a hospice center in Tempe, Arizona, surrounded by the love of family and friends after a brain injury. She was born in Toledo, Ohio, on June 13, 1940, to James Henry Puhl and Sally Wilder Puhl.

Dr. Jacqueline "Jackie" Puhl, Ph.D., lived a long life devoted to learning and teaching. Throughout her remarkable 65-year career, she was passionate about sharing knowledge with her students in every role she held. She graduated from Rogers High School in 1957, where she served as vice president of her class and was a cheerleader. Over the years, she remained involved in class reunions and stayed in touch with many of her classmates.

Jackie continued her education at Hillsdale College, where she served as captain of the cheerleading squad, homecoming court and earned her A.B. degree in physical education and psychology in 1961. She also spent summers taking classes at the University of Toledo and Michigan State University. In 1965, she earned an M.S.Ed. in physical education from Southern Illinois University, then continued to Kent State University, where she received her Ph.D. in exercise physiology in 1972. Jackie later completed postdoctoral study in exercise biochemistry at Washington State University in 1977.

Her career took her to many places across the country. She began teaching at Waterford Kettering High School in Michigan. She later served as a graduate assistant and instructor at Southern Illinois University, and in 1968 became a University Fellow at Kent State University. In 1971, she joined Iowa State University as an assistant professor and later became an associate professor. From 1976 to 1977, she was a visiting lecturer at Washington State University. Her extensive experience and expertise led to her appointment as sports physiologist, and later senior sports physiologist, at the United States Olympic Training Center from 1980 to 1986, where she traveled throughout the United States and around the world giving lectures in her field. She continued teaching as an associate professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in the Community Health Division of Nutrition and Sociomedical Sciences. She later moved east to become a professor at Springfield College in Massachusetts. After a year, she served as an assistant professor at Brown University School of Medicine in Rhode Island, then joined Rhode Island Hospital as director of education for General Internal Medicine and associate director of faculty development and fellowship training. Her final teaching position began in 1997 as an associate professor at Westfield State College in Massachusetts. Even after retiring from teaching, she continued working as a freelance medical writer and authored more than 600 published articles, papers, and multimedia projects.

Jackie received many awards, grants, and honors throughout her years of teaching. She was a member of Pi Lambda Theta and Phi Kappa Phi, a fellow in a research consortium, and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine. In 1978, she was honored in World's Who's Who of Women in Education and, in 1986, received a research award from the Southern Association for Physical Education of College Women. Her master's thesis, completed in 1965 at Southern Illinois University, was titled "Flexibility of Women and Effects of Specific Static Stretching Exercises." Her doctoral dissertation at Kent State University in 1972 was titled "The Application of Liquid Crystal Thermography to Exercise Thermoregulation."

In addition to serving as a professor and author of two books, along with many chapters, articles, and grants over the years, Jackie also taught golf, tennis, gymnastics, swimming, archery, fencing, volleyball, folk dance, billiards, and physical fitness. Her teaching encompassed many subjects, including nutrition, exercise, metabolism, and energy, helping others better understand sports medicine and exercise physiology. She was revered by her colleagues, friends, and family and will forever be remembered for her many contributions to medical education.

When Jackie retired from active teaching, she moved to Arizona. She traveled around the country in her RV, visiting family, sharing memories, discussing future projects, and enjoying wine tasting and good food. Although she was not fond of the heat of the Phoenix Valley, she found her "Happy Place" in Show Low, Arizona, where the summers were cooler. There, in a little cabin among the tall pines of the White Mountains, she worked on family genealogy and spent treasured time with friends, her brother, and her nieces.

Jackie never stopped learning and growing as a person. Over the course of nearly 86 years, she shared countless insights, meaningful conversations, and lessons drawn from her own experiences. She was one of the strongest women in our lives. Despite many medical procedures over the years, she remained determined to stay healthy and strong. She was organized, knew what she wanted in life, and pursued it with purpose. We are so proud of all she accomplished and all she shared with our family.

Jackie is survived by her brother, Charles Thomas Puhl, Sr.; her nieces and nephew, Tammara (Keith) McCormick, Tracy (Jace) Edens, and Charles (Jennifer) Puhl, Jr.; her great-nieces and great-nephews, Chelsea Winkle, Kyle (Jonmorgan) McCormick-Smith, Hunter McCormick, Chloe Puhl, Cahle Puhl, Missa Mulac, and Crew Puhl; her great-great-niece and great-great-nephews, Jackson Baptista, Camden Puhl, and Charlotte Puhl; and many cousins, including Brenda Piasecki, with whom she shared a special relationship.

Jackie was preceded in death by her parents, James Henry Puhl and Sally Wilder Puhl; many aunts, uncles, and cousins; her best friend, Shirley Wood, and her beloved dogs Shamby and Brie. Jackie's final resting place will be beside her mother, Sally Wilder Puhl, at Toledo Memorial Park in Sylvania, Ohio.

A Celebration of Life for Jackie will be held on her 86th birthday, June 13, 2026, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at The Elks Lodge in Maumee, 139 W Wayne St, Maumee, OH. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in her memory to her favorite charities listed below:

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (Memphis, TN) at https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html?sc_icid=wtg-lz-one-time or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) (New York, NY) at https://secure.aspca.org/donate/ps-memory-sl-p1?ms

A quote she kept on her desk:

May you always

Have Love to share

Health to spare and

Friends who care.

- J.Kamm