Obituary for Donald F. Huelke Donald F. Huelke was born August 20, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois, and died October 16, 2018 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Don (Papa) is survived by his wife, Linda Sue (nee Killebrew), daughter Donna (Tim) Lankerd, their daughter, Erin Lankerd (Jason McWilliams), and by his son, David (Becky), and their children, Adrienne, Kristen, Samantha, Halle, and Emily. He was stepfather to Sue’s sons, Mark (Melissa), children Madison, Mackenzie, Mitchell and Steffan, and Michael (Jillian) Westhoven, son Vincent.
Don was preceded in death by his first wife, Jean (nee Kilbert), and his parents, Arthur and Laura (nee Malon). Dr. Huelke received his Bachelor and Masters degrees from the University of Illinois, and Ph.D. in Anatomy from the University of Michigan in 1957. He retired in 1997 as Emeritus Professor of the University of Michigan Medical School in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, and as Emeritus Research Scientist at the UM Transportation Research Institute.
Dr. Huelke conducted research programs on the causes of motor vehicle deaths and injuries in the Washtenaw County area beginning in 1961. This was the longest on-going crash injury research program in the world. Dr. Huelke published extensively on crash injury causation and the effectiveness of occupant protection systems in over 189 articles in journals and texts.
Dr. Huelke combined his anatomical and injury knowledge to the engineering problems associated with automotive safety and crash protection. He lectured extensively on car crash injuries at international conferences in Italy, Japan, Australia, England, Austria, at the NATO headquarters in Brussels and elsewhere in Europe, as well as Canada and the United States, He was appointed by the Secretary of Transportation to the National Safety Advisory Council. In addition, he was appointed to the NATO Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society – Accident Investigation Program.
Don was a consultant to the police agencies in Washtenaw County, and consulted with the Michigan State Crime Laboratory on skeletal identification as well as lecturing to the Michigan State Police on crash investigations and injury causation. Throughout his career, Don received many awards for outstanding research and presentations in the area of occupant protection and injury causation. The Michigan Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association gave him their Distinguished Achievement Award, and the Medical Tribune presented him with their Automotive Safety Award.
The Gold Medal from the international Association for Accident and Traffic Medicine was awarded to him for outstanding achievement in the field of traffic medicine. The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company awarded him the Certification of Commendation for Research in Accident Prevention. Don was one of the first recipients of the Forest McFarland Ralph Isbrandt Automotive Safety Engineering Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Don organized and participated in numerous courses for the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), courses designed for engineers in the area of anatomy, injury causation and biomechanics. Don received the SAE Lloyd L. Whitlow Distinguished Speaker Award. Don was the first non-engineer to be named Fellow of the SAE.
He was a member of the STAPP Car Crash Advisory Committee for over 30 years. The students in the University of Michigan Dental School chose him for the Gibbons Award for outstanding teaching. Don was a fellow and scientific program chairman for the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine for many years, as well as AAAM Boards of Director’s member.
Don was the first non-physician to be president of AAAM. In 2009, he received the first Lifetime Achievement Award of Distinction given by the AAAM. Cremation has taken place.
Celebration of Life to be held at The Kensington Hotel, 3500 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Monday, October 22, 2018 from 5 to 8 pm. All are welcome. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Donald F. Huelke please visit our Sympathy Store.
Upcoming Events Celebration of Life OCT 22. 05:00 PM – 08:00 PM Kensington Hotel 3500 S. State Street Ann Arbor, MI, US, 48108 Order Flowers for the Celebration of Life Guaranteed delivery before Donald’s Celebration of Life begins.
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