1948 - 2026
Born in the final days of summer in 1948, Kern grew up around horses and carriages in a small New Jersey town. He attended Harding Township School in New Vernon and Delbarton School in Morristown. Aviation captured his imagination early, and Kern earned his pilot’s license at just 16 years old, soloing two different airplanes on his birthday.
While still in high school, Kern and his younger brother Rinker flew across the country and back during a summer vacation. At 17, Kern became the youngest pilot to make the coast-to-coast journey at the time. His passion for aviation followed him to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, where he founded a flying club, raised money to purchase an airplane and, using his flight instructor certification, taught several classmates to fly.
After college and a period working as a congressional aide, Kern attended the International School of Law as one of its original 26 students, with the fledgling school initially meeting in a church basement. After passing the bar in Washington, D.C., he began practicing as a public defender. He later passed the Massachusetts bar and ultimately devoted 48 years of his career to public defense, advocating for some of society’s most vulnerable people.
Flying remained one of the great passions of Kern’s life. After moving to Massachusetts, he worked as a tow pilot, pulling banners and aerial billboards on flights that frequently took him over Fenway Park. In his 60s, he returned to towing, this time pulling gliders from Sterling Airport in Central Massachusetts.
Kern was also a reader, researcher and thoughtful introvert with an enduring fascination for history and his family’s roots. He extensively researched his family tree and traveled to the west of Ireland, where his maternal grandmother had lived. From childhood shortwave radios that allowed him and his siblings to listen to faraway places to experiments and inventions constructed in his father’s barn, Kern possessed a curiosity about the world that remained with him throughout his life.
One of 11 children, Kern grew up alongside his siblings Dempsey, McNamara, Rinker, Bridget, Bryan, Cronin, Nicholas, Andrew, Ferris and Adrian. He was predeceased by his brother Bryan.
Above all, Kern loved his family. He shared more than 40 years of marriage with his wife, Jody, and was a devoted father to Karolyn, an artist living on the coast of Maine, and Tom, an EMT in San Jose, California, and a Marine reservist. He found his greatest refuge in his family, the people he loved and the Holliston home where he spent 32 years.
Kern understood himself as a witness to history and continually searched for meaning in the world around him. His life encompassed aviation adventures, public service, legal advocacy, family history and countless stories shared with friends and relatives. Through it all, he remained grounded by home and family.
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, October 24th, at 11:00 AM at Hopedale Unitarian Parish, located at 65 Hopedale Street in Hopedale.
