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William Floyd Kern Jr.

October 21, 1946 - February 2, 2019

U.S. Veteran

Memorial Mass & Reception

Due to inclement weather and other factors, the Sacred Heart Memorial Service has been re-scheduled for Friday at 9:00am on March 8th, 2019. Family and friends are invited to gather in the narthex (outside the chapel) at 8:00am prior to service and the rosary (8:30am) for a Memorial Visitation. Reception to follow immediately after the service in Hallen Hall.

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Posted by:
Ted Mix

Posted on:
February 15, 2019

I first met Bill in 1959 when my family moved next door to the Murphy’s on East 10th. Bill’s family lived on the corner of Eastside Street and Union Avenue. We soon became fast friends and played many sports together. We played basketball at the hoops fastened to the concrete wall behind the gym at St. Mikes. There was no backboard, so you didn’t want to do any driving layups! Before the new church was built, St. Mikes students played football on the field above the school. I think they used to cut that field for hay in the summer. Bill and I took our lawn mowers up and cut out a path around the field for track meets. We had a stop watch for 100 yard dash, 440 yard, 880, and so on. Everyone was welcome. Bill usually won the races. We had a bamboo pole for a javelin and cross bar for high jump, a hub cap for discus, and a large rock for a shot put. (Later in life you would see Bill running around town training for marathons.) I remember going with Bill and his family to see the Tacoma Giants when Willie McCovey was down from the big club for a short stay. Willie hit three home runs and a triple but the highlight of the day was a foul ball down the right field line. A young boy calmly stood up, snatched the line drive out of the air, and immediately sat back down like a routine play. There was a moment of stunned silence before the crowd erupted in a loud roar. I think Bill still had that ball tucked away somewhere. After high school I joined the Army Security Agency, which needed security clearances. I needed references. Bill always remembered when the FBI showed up on his front porch unannounced to interview his folks. Not a lot of times when the FBI comes knocking on your door. I don’t remember if I ever asked his parents to provide references or not. Must have said nice things, I got approved. I definitely talked with them when my wife and I asked Bill Sr. and Donna to be Godparents to our oldest daughter Julie. Later we asked Bill and Dee to be Godparents to our son Robert. We spent many an evening at each other’s homes playing cards or Trivial Pursuit. Bill had a fantastic memory for “Oldies but Goodies” and sports memorabilia. He was always listening to radio shows and calling to win some contest or other. I seem to remember he took the entire family to Hawaii after winning on a Seattle radio show. After I got out of the Army and Bill the Navy we started playing golf together. Over the years, 50 or so, were joined by Bruce Braniff and Paul Klinkosz, and more recently by Joe Frederickson after he returned to the Olympia area. I was playing with him when he scored his “Ace” at Allenmore in Tacoma. I think he was pretty excited but he was always so low keyed it was hard to tell. It won’t be same without him. God Bless you Bill! Find us some good courses to play in Heaven.

Posted by:
Jan Ordos

Posted on:
February 9, 2019

I worked with Bill at both Employment Security and DSHS, but our parents were friends long before that. I don't remember much about childhood get-togethers with his family, but I do remember being in their first home on Tumwater Hill and later, on Eastside St. There was a creek across the street from the home on Eastside St. that offered endless fascination for the neighborhood kids. And later, Bill's mom had comic books (with the covers torn off because they had not been sold) from Lesnick News, that one of my sisters got to enjoy reading. Bill was shy as a kid, nothing like his dad at all, but as Bill got older he turned into a tease, just like his dad. I think he liked seeing people's reactions. Olympia was a small town back in the 1950s and 1960s, but as it grew, buildings and residences were torn down to make way for new enterprises, and Bill could tell you what building "used to be there" and who had lived in what house that "used to be there". And he knew what had become of the businesses and families who had moved on; he could give you a "talking history tour" of the city that was always fascinating. Bill knew so many different people over the years, which means he will be so missed (and I think you know this) by a lot of people. Bill loved his family, and I am sure these are sad times for all of you. You will be in my thoughts for a long time. Take care, Jan O.

Posted by:
Maggie

Posted on:
February 9, 2019

I will miss seeing Bill walking around the lake, I'll miss his beautiful smile, and most of all, I'll miss the hug and "Hi ya Mag" when he'd stop by when he spotted me working in my shop. Go with God, Bill. You will be missed.

Posted by:
Joe Frederickson

Posted on:
February 9, 2019

My heart goes out to the entire Kern family. I counted Bill as one of my closest friends, a man I turned to many times over more than 50 years for advice and perspectives. We spent hours together at basketball games and on golf courses, such as this one on July 10, 2014 when Bill removed the ball from the cup after his hole-in-one on the 16th at Allenmore in Tacoma. Rest in peace, ballplayer.