Sporting their “Fast & Furious” attire, the Kuchon family includes Sarah, Cliff, Hannah, and Owen
Candid, courageous, and connected are three words that
reflect the nature of Troy attorney Sarah Kuchon, an alumna of MSU
College of Law, who became the new president of the OCBA in June,
succeeding Bloomfield Hills attorney Dean Googasian.
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
When Sarah Kuchon took to the podium in early June at the Annual Meeting of the Oakland County Bar Association, the newly-installed president of the OCBA had a lot on her mind, reflecting on a life journey that has not been in the form of a straight line nor a carefully plotted path.
In metaphorical terms, her journey has resembled “a winding road full of surprise turns, engine trouble, unexpected detours, and . . . a few scenic overlooks along the way,” she acknowledged while trying to make sense of a life filled with joy, legal triumphs, loss, and unbearable tragedy.
All that while heading a successful personal injury law firm, raising two children, and assuming the presidency of the largest volunteer bar association in the state.
“I like to stay busy and, most of all, I love to learn,” declared Kuchon, who traces her drive and resilience to her great-grandfather, Jasper, an immigrant from Southeast Europe.
“He arrived at Ellis Island with his parents and two sisters, having made the long journey from Croatia,” Kuchon related. “He came here with his family chasing the American Dream. The hope of opportunity, freedom, and a better life. However, after medical screening, Jasper’s parents and siblings were sent back. They tested positive for tuberculosis. Jasper stayed. Alone. A teenager in a foreign land. That moment – a teenage boy choosing to stay, scared but determined – that’s leadership.”
Kuchon also took note of her great-grandmother, Velma Belle, affectionately known as “Grandma Stardust,” a nickname that seemed particularly apropos.
“She would say, ‘We come in as stardust and leave as stardust,’” Kuchon told those gathered at the OCBA Annual Meeting. “She would also say, ‘When you have a bad day, wear gold slippers.’ She lived to be 103, outliving wars, presidents, economic crashes, and fashion trends. Her life was proof that longevity has little to do with ease and everything to do with grit, humor, and maybe a little luck.”
Born and raised in Waterford, Kuchon has made four stops along her academic trail, earning an associate’s degree from Oakland Community College, a bachelor’s from the University of Michigan-Flint, her juris doctor from Michigan State University College of Law, and a master’s in counseling from Oakland University for good measure. She is a National Certified Counselor, while also being certified in Domestic Relations Training through the Oakland Mediation Center. For good measure, she is a credentialed Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance.
Her thirst for learning, she said, was mostly an inherited trait, thanks to her parents, Sherry and Will, who divorced when Kuchon was a teen but eventually “reintegrated into the family” and became friends again.
“My mom, my ‘Wonder Woman,’ raised me and my siblings with unwavering strength, taught us how to love fiercely, and how to survive the moments that break us,” said Kuchon. “My mom’s courage wasn’t flashy. Instead, it was quiet determination and consistent love – that’s leadership too.”
Her father, who began his career as a freelance carpenter and then a lineman for General Motors, took an unconventional turn, moving from the world of punk rock to that of the ordained ministry.
“He went from screaming into microphones in smoky clubs to preaching about grace and transformation,” Kuchon said of her father. “He taught me to stand my ground without losing my soul, to use my voice the way he once used a mic – loud, clear, and unafraid. . . His past gave me grit; his faith gave me grace.”
Kuchon’s husband, Cliff, is the owner of Clifford Lewis Properties, a home building and remodeling company based in Rochester Hills. They have two children, Hannah, 22, and Owen, 15.
“My husband is my partner in the truest sense,” said Kuchon. “He’s loving, he’s supportive, and he shows up – every day, in all the ways that matter.”
As for her children, Kuchon is even more plain spoken.
“I truly have the best children,” she said. “They are the reason I show up every day and do what I do.”
Her legal mentor was attorney Michael Hohauser, a 1974 Detroit College of Law alum who served as president of the Oakland Bar from 1999-2000.
“Our journey together shaped the lawyer I became, and for that, I owe a debt of gratitude,” said Kuchon of her former law partner.
Kuchon’s two sisters, Jennifer and Megan, also have legal ties that bind. Jennifer is an attorney with Ford Motor Co., and has served as “my fiercest advocate” who “pushes me to be a better version of myself,” said Kuchon.
Megan is Kuchon’s trusted paralegal, “the quiet force in our family” who is the “one behind the scenes keeping things running.”
Her younger brother, Andrew, is a computer programmer with a “niche role” in the tech business, according to Kuchon, who also has another brother, Mitch.
His life story is “complicated” and “tragic,” Kuchon admitted. In November 2021, he pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the stabbing death of his wife and family dog. After he was arrested in the stabbing deaths, an October 2022 case that drew considerable media attention, Kuchon’s brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and now is confined to the Caro Center, a regional state hospital for adults with mental illness.
“I do not know why my brother did not seek help for his mental condition,” Kuchon wrote in a column appearing in the May 2023 edition of the OCBA’s Laches magazine. “He suffered in silence despite the fact that he had family and friends who loved him and would have rallied around and supported him.
“I grieve the loss of my sister-in-law,” Kuchon said. “I grieve the loss of my life and my family as they existed before this tragedy. These events rocked me to my core. My grief is complicated because although I did not technically lose my brother, it feels like I did.”
Kuchon’s willingness to discuss the matter – and to write about the “stigma” attached to mental illness – says plenty about her character and courage, and her desire to make an impact as the 93rd president of the OCBA.
“My vision for the OCBA is to honor and enhance the strong legacy of leadership that has defined this organization – leadership grounded in service, integrity, and excellence,” Kuchon said at her installation
ceremony in June. “I believe we also have a unique opportunity to lead in the area of lawyer well-being by not only continuing the important work we do, but by modeling affective, empathetic behavior that fosters connection, resilience, and authenticity in our profession.”
Legal News
When Sarah Kuchon took to the podium in early June at the Annual Meeting of the Oakland County Bar Association, the newly-installed president of the OCBA had a lot on her mind, reflecting on a life journey that has not been in the form of a straight line nor a carefully plotted path.
In metaphorical terms, her journey has resembled “a winding road full of surprise turns, engine trouble, unexpected detours, and . . . a few scenic overlooks along the way,” she acknowledged while trying to make sense of a life filled with joy, legal triumphs, loss, and unbearable tragedy.
All that while heading a successful personal injury law firm, raising two children, and assuming the presidency of the largest volunteer bar association in the state.
“I like to stay busy and, most of all, I love to learn,” declared Kuchon, who traces her drive and resilience to her great-grandfather, Jasper, an immigrant from Southeast Europe.
“He arrived at Ellis Island with his parents and two sisters, having made the long journey from Croatia,” Kuchon related. “He came here with his family chasing the American Dream. The hope of opportunity, freedom, and a better life. However, after medical screening, Jasper’s parents and siblings were sent back. They tested positive for tuberculosis. Jasper stayed. Alone. A teenager in a foreign land. That moment – a teenage boy choosing to stay, scared but determined – that’s leadership.”
Kuchon also took note of her great-grandmother, Velma Belle, affectionately known as “Grandma Stardust,” a nickname that seemed particularly apropos.
“She would say, ‘We come in as stardust and leave as stardust,’” Kuchon told those gathered at the OCBA Annual Meeting. “She would also say, ‘When you have a bad day, wear gold slippers.’ She lived to be 103, outliving wars, presidents, economic crashes, and fashion trends. Her life was proof that longevity has little to do with ease and everything to do with grit, humor, and maybe a little luck.”
Born and raised in Waterford, Kuchon has made four stops along her academic trail, earning an associate’s degree from Oakland Community College, a bachelor’s from the University of Michigan-Flint, her juris doctor from Michigan State University College of Law, and a master’s in counseling from Oakland University for good measure. She is a National Certified Counselor, while also being certified in Domestic Relations Training through the Oakland Mediation Center. For good measure, she is a credentialed Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance.
Her thirst for learning, she said, was mostly an inherited trait, thanks to her parents, Sherry and Will, who divorced when Kuchon was a teen but eventually “reintegrated into the family” and became friends again.
“My mom, my ‘Wonder Woman,’ raised me and my siblings with unwavering strength, taught us how to love fiercely, and how to survive the moments that break us,” said Kuchon. “My mom’s courage wasn’t flashy. Instead, it was quiet determination and consistent love – that’s leadership too.”
Her father, who began his career as a freelance carpenter and then a lineman for General Motors, took an unconventional turn, moving from the world of punk rock to that of the ordained ministry.
“He went from screaming into microphones in smoky clubs to preaching about grace and transformation,” Kuchon said of her father. “He taught me to stand my ground without losing my soul, to use my voice the way he once used a mic – loud, clear, and unafraid. . . His past gave me grit; his faith gave me grace.”
Kuchon’s husband, Cliff, is the owner of Clifford Lewis Properties, a home building and remodeling company based in Rochester Hills. They have two children, Hannah, 22, and Owen, 15.
“My husband is my partner in the truest sense,” said Kuchon. “He’s loving, he’s supportive, and he shows up – every day, in all the ways that matter.”
As for her children, Kuchon is even more plain spoken.
“I truly have the best children,” she said. “They are the reason I show up every day and do what I do.”
Her legal mentor was attorney Michael Hohauser, a 1974 Detroit College of Law alum who served as president of the Oakland Bar from 1999-2000.
“Our journey together shaped the lawyer I became, and for that, I owe a debt of gratitude,” said Kuchon of her former law partner.
Kuchon’s two sisters, Jennifer and Megan, also have legal ties that bind. Jennifer is an attorney with Ford Motor Co., and has served as “my fiercest advocate” who “pushes me to be a better version of myself,” said Kuchon.
Megan is Kuchon’s trusted paralegal, “the quiet force in our family” who is the “one behind the scenes keeping things running.”
Her younger brother, Andrew, is a computer programmer with a “niche role” in the tech business, according to Kuchon, who also has another brother, Mitch.
His life story is “complicated” and “tragic,” Kuchon admitted. In November 2021, he pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the stabbing death of his wife and family dog. After he was arrested in the stabbing deaths, an October 2022 case that drew considerable media attention, Kuchon’s brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and now is confined to the Caro Center, a regional state hospital for adults with mental illness.
“I do not know why my brother did not seek help for his mental condition,” Kuchon wrote in a column appearing in the May 2023 edition of the OCBA’s Laches magazine. “He suffered in silence despite the fact that he had family and friends who loved him and would have rallied around and supported him.
“I grieve the loss of my sister-in-law,” Kuchon said. “I grieve the loss of my life and my family as they existed before this tragedy. These events rocked me to my core. My grief is complicated because although I did not technically lose my brother, it feels like I did.”
Kuchon’s willingness to discuss the matter – and to write about the “stigma” attached to mental illness – says plenty about her character and courage, and her desire to make an impact as the 93rd president of the OCBA.
“My vision for the OCBA is to honor and enhance the strong legacy of leadership that has defined this organization – leadership grounded in service, integrity, and excellence,” Kuchon said at her installation
ceremony in June. “I believe we also have a unique opportunity to lead in the area of lawyer well-being by not only continuing the important work we do, but by modeling affective, empathetic behavior that fosters connection, resilience, and authenticity in our profession.”
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