Steven Francis Kern

Steve was born March 25, 1949 in Staunton, VA to Benjamin Francis Kern and Mary Kathryn Baker Kern. He was the oldest of three siblings and grew up riding his bike through the hills of Staunton delivering newspapers. He attended Robert E. Lee High School, where he met his sweetheart, Jonnie Brooks Easley, who later became his wife. He was a member of the marching band and the track team and earned his Eagle Scout as a member of Troop No. 126. As a runner, he won accolades at the state level for the 400m as an individual and as a member of the 1600m relay team.

After high school, Steve attended Virginia Military Institute from 1967-1968, running on both the track and cross country teams. In April of 1969 he enlisted in the Air Force, where he served until 1979, achieving the rank of E-6. During his time in the military, he was awarded three Air Force Commendation medals and two Air Force Good Conduct medals. He served as an air traffic controller and instructor and was the honor graduate of his class from the Tactical Air Command NCO Academy. Of note, he worked the air operation at Korat Radar in the last operation of the Vietnam War to recover the crew of the captured ship The Mayaguez.

In June 1983, Steve was hired as an air traffic controller by the Federal Aviation Administration. He served as a controller at the Raleigh-Durham airport from 1983-1988, as a quality control and training specialist at the Fayetteville (NC) airport from 1989-1991, and as operations supervisor at the Greenville-Spartanburg airport from 1991-2004, at which time he entered retirement.

On August 28, 1971, Steve married Jonnie Brooks Easley at Second Presbyterian Church in Staunton, VA. They enjoyed traveling together, especially to celebrate their anniversary each fall. They celebrated their 50th anniversary last year with a reception at their church in Greenville (SC).

Steve accepted the Lord as his savior at a Billy Graham crusade at Carter Finley Stadium in September 1973, and he spent the rest of his life growing in his faith and serving the Lord. He was a long-time elder at Devenger Road ARP Church in Greenville and also served in multiple leadership positions in the Associate Reformed denomination. His desire was to serve others and to raise up leaders at work, at home, and in the church.

Never one to be idle, when he wasn’t busy at work or at church or doing yard work, Steve enjoyed working with wood. He began with restoration work and then moved toward creating his own pieces. He enjoyed learning new skills and challenging himself, and he was a vital member of the Greenville Woodworkers’ Guild, serving in multiple leadership roles, most notably four years as president of the guild.

Of his many positive qualities, Steve’s commitment to family made him a strong husband, father, grandfather, son, and brother. He was devoted to his family and particularly enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Jonnie Brooks Easley Kern; his daughter, Virginia (Ginger) Lockamy, and her husband, Eric Lockamy; his grandchildren, Grace, Lydia, and Samuel Lockamy; his brother, Ben Kern; his sister, Karen Conner; and multiple nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 9:30-10:45 AM Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at Devenger Road ARP Church, 1200 Devenger Road, Greer, SC 29650. A service to celebrate his life will follow at 11:00 AM. Steve will be buried in Staunton, VA. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Steve’s name to the Greenville Woodworkers’ Guild or Devenger Road ARP Church.