OF BLESSED MEMORY
OBITUARIES

M

ichigan Court of 
Appeals Judge 
Jonathan Tukel 
died on Sept. 17, 2021, at age 
60. Judge Tukel, an Orchard 
Lake resident, had a distin-
guished career as a lawyer, 
federal prosecutor, judge and 
adjunct law professor.
As Rabbi Aaron Starr of 
Congregation Shaarey Zedek 
said at the funeral, Judge 
Tukel followed the Jewish 
precept that “Justice, justice 
you shall pursue.”
“He used his incredible 
gifts for justice, compassion, 
truth and faith and put his 
family above all else,” Rabbi 
Starr said.
Chief Judge Christopher 
Murray of the Michigan 
Court of Appeals, said, “Judge 
Tukel’s devotion to the rule of 
law and the Constitution was 
surpassed only by his love 
and dedication to his family, 
friends and the University of 
Michigan, where he was an 
adjunct professor.
“His laugh, sense of humor 
and never-ending curiosity 
about the law will be missed 
by all at the Court of Appeals.
”
At his funeral, family mem-
bers spoke of his commit-
ment to being with his close 
extended family — enjoying 
summers at Camp Michigania 
near Boyne City, U-M foot-
ball weekends and seders. 
They appreciated his 
humility, deep sense of pur-
pose and commitment to core 
values, but also his jokes and 
warmth that brought happi-
ness to family occasions.
Judge Tukel was described 
as a proud Jew who treasured 

his Jewish culture and sup-
ported Israel, and as a defend-
er of the underdog. Despite a 
difficult battle with multiple 
myeloma, a deadly cancer, he 
focused on his professional 
goals and family and was 
grateful for the rich life that 
he achieved.
Judge Tukel grew up in Oak 
Park and earned a bachelor’s 
degree and later a law degree 
magna cum laude from the 
University of Michigan. He 
began his legal career with the 
Detroit-based Honigman law 
firm, focusing on antitrust, 
labor and employment dis-
crimination cases, as well as 
white-collar criminal defense.

VAST PUBLIC SERVICE
He subsequently served as 
an Assistant United States 
Attorney for the Department 
of Justice, prosecuting cases 
involving narcotics, money 
laundering, tax evasion and 
public corruption.
Rabbi Starr noted, “In his 
professional career, Judge Jon 
Tukel pursued justice with his 
entire being.”
As chief of the National 
Security Unit, Assistant 
U.S. Attorney Tukel and his 
colleagues investigated and 
prosecuted international and 
domestic terrorism cases. He 
was involved in two partic-
ularly well-known terrorism 
cases — the Underwear 
Bomber who tried to blow up 
an airplane over Detroit in 
2009, and an immigrant who 
tried to fraudulently obtain 
U.S. citizenship by concealing 
a terrorist past. In 2017, he 
achieved a lifelong dream by 

being appointed by Gov. Rick 
Snyder to the Michigan Court 
of Appeals, 2nd District.
In 2012, Judge Tukel was 
honored for his accomplish-
ments, including the pros-
ecution of the Underwear 
Bomber. He received a “Leader 
in the Law” award from the 
Michigan Lawyers Weekly as 
well as the Attorney General 
Award from the Department 
of Justice for “Excellence in 
Furthering the Interest in 
U.S. National Security” and 
the United States Attorney’s 
Award from the United States 
Attorney’s Office. 
Judge Tukel shared his 
knowledge as an adjunct 
professor at the University 
of Michigan Law School. In 
addition, he lectured at the 
National Counterterrorism 
Center, the FBI Academy 
and at the Public Prosecution 
Service of Canada while 
serving at the Department of 
Justice. He also chaired the 
Michigan Attorney Discipline 

Board Hearing Panel.
Rabbi Starr said, “We will 
always remember Judge Jon 
Tukel as a man who used his 
incredible gifts to devote his 
life to justice, to compassion, 
to faith and, most of all, to his 
family — above all else.”
Judge Jonathan Tukel is 
survived by his wife, Sandra 
Tukel; sons, Steven Tukel, 
Henry Tukel and Andrew 
Tukel; mother-in-law, Reva 
Kuhel; brothers-in-law and 
sisters-in-law, Barry Kuhel, 
Dr. William and Alexandra 
Kuhel, and Dr. Alan and Beth 
Kuhel; sister and brother-in-
law, Susan Tukel and Michael 
Balloch; brother and sister-in-
law, Daniel Tukel and Shelly 
Milstein; nephews and niece, 
Albert Kuhel, Philip Kuhel, 
Ryan Kuhel and his fiancee, 
Alyssa Weakley, Talia Kuhel, 
and Adam Tukel-Finegood. 
He is also survived by many 
loving relatives, colleagues 
and friends. 
Judge Tukel was the devot-
ed son of the late Sherwin 
and the late Emily Tukel, and 
the loving son-in-law of the 
late Dr. Eli H. Kuhel.
Interment was at Clover 
Hill Park Cemetery. 
Contributions may be 
made to the Frankel Jewish 
Academy, 6600 West Maple 
Road, West Bloomfield, 
MI 48322, www.frankelja.
org; or Dresner Family 
Clinic, Karmanos Cancer 
Institute, 4100 John R, 
Detroit, MI 48201, www.
karmanos.org/karmanos/
joseph-dresner-family-clin-
ic. Arrangements by the Ira 
Kaufman Chapel. 

A Devotion to Justice

SHARI COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

48 | SEPTEMBER 30 • 2021 
 
 
 
 

Judge Jonathan Tukel

