William G. "Bill" Kern

KERN

William Gordon, age 80, adored husband of 57 years to Patricia, father of David and Shawn and grandfather to AnnaBeth and Matthew. Passed May 13th very unexpectedly from aortic valve surgery. Born May 11, 1936, to Karl and Cozette Kern. He grew up in Madisonville where his parents opened first Cincinnati Dairy Queen. Bill graduated from Walnut Hills HS and Miami University in Oxford, where he met Pat. Bill joined NROTC and then served in the Navy aboard USS Kirkpatrick, a destroyer escort on the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line. Receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Cincinnati and was hired by Richardson Merrell Pharmaceutical Co. (later became Marion Merrell Dow) where he spent his career in sales, then marketing, working in Cincinnati, Rhode Island, St. Louis and Indianapolis, winning more than one President’s Pin Award. He has lived most recently in Sharonville, Blue Ash and Mariemont. He was devoted to Boy Scouts - camping, skiing and sailing through this final year, and finished 42 years of service, ending with Troop 674 in Montgomery. Also, he was a leader in Ohio Advanced Ed Evaluation, helped Walnut Hills Alumni Foundation, Miami University Over-the-Rhine Community Center, Junior Achievement, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and Cincinnati Shakespeare Co. He played tennis and biked until his final week. His wish was to be given to UC Medical Center for research. A Memorial Celebration will be held on Saturday, June 11, at 11AM at Sycamore Presbyterian Church, 11800 Mason Road (45249)(at intersection of Montgomery Road) followed by lunch and family visitation. Memorials may be made to the Bill Kern Boy Scouts Citizenship Essay Contest and Scholarship at https://gofundme.com/billkern.