NASHVILLE, N.C. — Jordan Leon Kern, a beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend, passed away on Aug. 19, 2024, in his hometown of Nashville, North Carolina. Born to Lafe and Cristine Kern on Dec. 22, 1990, in Great Bend, Kan., Jordan’s life was an epic explosion of color, reflecting his passion, wit, and vibrant and infectious sense of humor.
Jordan attended Southwestern Missouri State University right after high school, and then he went on to graduate from The University of Central Missouri in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science-Microbiology. His passion for his work earned him not only a position with Pfizer as Environmental Control Supervisor but it also won the admiration of his coworkers and peers. He was an instrumental part of the team that discovered a way to do a more targeted therapy for treating cancer. He was particularly proud of this accomplishment.
Jordan’s quick wit and sense of humor would often catch people off guard, and continues to give us all a reason to smile, even now as our hearts are aching with the loss of his sweet face and his overall presence in our lives.
Jordan is survived by a loving wife of the home, Dorothy (Rebecca) Kern, and their baby girl, Isabella Luna Kern as well as a daughter from a previous marriage, Ava Noelle Kern, of Blue Springs, Mo. Jordan also leaves behind his mother and stepfather, Cristy and James Hanks, of Great Bend, Kan., and his father and stepmother, Lafe and Erin Kern, of Hutchinson, Kan. In addition, he will be deeply missed by his four brothers and their families, Lafe and Tonya Kern of Independence, Mo.; Jared and Janie Kern of Great Bend, Kan.; Keegan Yancey and Rainer Yancey of Grain Valley, Mo.; nephews, Jared, Percy, and Atreus; nieces, Nessa and Pherix. He is survived by his maternal grandparents, Harold and Kathy Orth of Great Bend, Kan., and predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Don and Donna Kern. Jordan was from a large family with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins a young man could ask for.
A service to celebrate Jordan’s life will be held on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at 2 at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church in Great Bend, Kan. Join the family for a dinner of reflection at the Prince of Peace Parish Center following the celebration of life.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to his daughter, Isabella, in care of his wife, Rebecca Kern. She will put the funds into a CD or an interest-bearing account to be used for Isabella’s college expenses. The donation can be sent to Rebecca Kern, 3117 Zebulon Road, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804.
Jordan’s legacy will live on in the hearts of all those who knew him and in the faces of his two beautiful daughters, who just happen to share their daddy’s good looks. His life, though short, deeply touched us all. Rest in peace, dear Jordan. Our memories of you will make us all smile again someday.
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Aug. 24, 2024
