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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (May 9, 2018)
2 A SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, May 9, 2018 OBITUARIES KERNER —Sherman Kerner, 89, of Florence, passed away, after a short illness, May 4, 2018. His loving son, Dr. Stephen Kerner, was at his side. Sherman is survived by his four children: Ricki Kerner, Sheila Evans (Kerner), Douglas Kerner and Dr. Stephen Kerner; his l o v i n g daughter-in- law, Beth Kerner; four Sherman grandchil- Kerner dren: Louis Kerner, Isaac Kerner, Tristan Kerner and Micah Kerner; and his wife of 60 years, Lenore. Sherman’s parents, Louis and Esther, along with his brothers, Bobby and Harold, preceded Sherman in death. Sherman was born July 10, 1928, in Minneapolis, Minn. He met his wife, Lenore, while they were both volunteering for an organization that supported in-patients at the local mental health hospital. Sherm and Lenore became friends. When Lenore’s date stood her up for the annual charity ball for the organization (which Lenore had organized), Lenore’s sister arranged for Sherman to be Lenore’s date for the evening. That night changed their lives and they soon married. Shortly after Sherm and Lenore married, and during the Korean War, Sherm was drafted into the Army. He went to Ft. Riley, Kan., for boot camp and was soon joined by Lenore, who was pregnant with their first child. Instead of being shipped out to Korea, Sherm was sent to Germany for the remainder of his assignment. Sherm served as an army cook and later took on the role as head cook for the family. Sherm was a great cook but could never abandon the tendency to cook too much food. After Sherm’s honorable dis- charge from the U.S. Army, he and Lenore decided to move from the chilly winters in Minnesota to Southern California. With their two chil- dren Ricki and Sheila in tow, Sherm and Lenore first settled into an apartment in North Hollywood. Sherm got a job as a clerk for Occidental Life Insurance; two more children, Doug and Stephen, followed. Sherm worked his way up the corporate ladder at Occidental, becoming assistant vice president, executive vice president and eventually President of First Transamerica Life Insurance Company, which was Transamerica’s first foray in selling insurance in the State of New York. Sherm loved his work and the people that he worked with. Sherm and Lenore traveled the world during Sherm’s many years of employment with Transamerica. Sherm retired in 1989 and he and Lenore moved to Las Vegas, Nev. One notable Sherman story from their years in Las Vegas is that he once wrote to the president of an unnamed casino to complain. The reason: He had not won anything at their casino after spending quite a bit of money WEATHER DATA D ATE May May May May May May May H IGH 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 55 60 54 57 67 58 62 Rainfall Month: 0.04” L OW R AIN 40 37 42 46 45 48 45 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.03 0.00 Week: 0.04” Year: 33.01” Courtesy of Roger Cunningham there. Sherm, along with his wife Lenore, were active volunteers for various charitable and non- profit organizations during the course of their lifetimes. Sherm specifically volunteered for mental health organizations, SCORE, and was president of various religious temples he and Lenore belonged to. After retirement, Sherm and Lenore moved to Florence in 2008 to be closer to their son Stephen and his wife, Beth, along with their two children, Louis and Isaac. Sherm and Lenore were very happy spending time with their children and grandchildren. Sherm was highly respected, smart and accomplished. He loved riding and taking care of horses. He also loved classical music. Not to be overlooked is Sherm’s love of a good deli, where he would order the most exotic item on the menu — and sweets, of course. Sherm was also extremely funny (intentional and uninten- tional). He loved a good joke and was able to laugh at him- self. He was wise and loved to help and counsel family and friends. He loved his family and was a beloved father and grandfather. Sherm had only one fear: Running out of chocolate (a favorite). Although Sherm’s body was failing physically, his memory was excellent. Recounting old family stories, including stories from his work days, his world travels and sharing Yiddish words/phrases were a favorite pastime. The Kerner family wishes to thank all of the medical staff and caregivers at Regency Rehabilitation for their loving care of Sherman for these many years. Sherman always expressed that he loved living at Regency and was grateful for the excel- lent care that he received. A service and celebration of Sherman’s life will be held Thursday, May 10, at noon at Burns’s Memorial Chapel. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Regency Rehabilitation Activities Committee, c/o Rachel Gilfoy; Siuslaw Outreach Services or the Florence Food Share. KILMER—Dr. Frank Hale Kilmer, 93, of Florence, passed away April 12, 2018. Frank was born on June 1, 1924, in Chicago, Ill., but grew up in Pasadena, Calif., ulti- mately attending Pasadena City College. Involved in an aero- tech program, he thought he had found his life’s work. He helped design the P-61, Black Widow night fighter while work- ing for Northrup, and contin- ued a love affair with airplanes throughout the rest of his life. Dr. Frank Kilmer At UC B e r k e l e y, Frank took a geology course, which led him to a PhD, a 4- year stint in oil exploration and a lifetime in academia. He was still working on a mapping project in the Florence area when he left us; he loved his work. Frank used his expertise to travel the world, teaching in eight foreign countries and traveling in more than 60. A humble man, he made friends wherever he went. Wherever he lived he was involved in the community, making city maps, being on planning commissions and city councils, writing let- ters to the editors, being involved with coastal commis- sions and leaving a better place than he found. He spent four years as part of a United Nations Committee member aiding island nations in the Pacific to develop their natural resources and worked at Seoul National University, Korea under the USAID pro- gram to underdeveloped nations. Frank had a huge interest in the natural world; he loved sports (especially football); he was a jazz fan who knew his jazz, knew the musicians, songs and history; he knew all the battles of WWII, including the people, planes, ships and out- comes; and he loved to talk and tell stories to anyone who would listen. Frank is survived by his wife, Shirley, of 47 years; three daughters: Kathy Hennesey, Kerry Kilmer and Holly Davis; numerous stepdaughters and stepsons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom he loved dearly and they adore him in return. Please join us in remember- ing Frank by joining us on May 12, at 11 a.m., at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Munsel Lake Road in Florence. Come share stories or just listen; lunch will be served. Burns’s Riverside Chapel Florence Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements. Dunes Memorial Chapel serving Florence and the surrounding area “ Our Family, Serving Your Family” Burial & Cremation Service • Onsite Crematory Columnbarium Spaces • Pre-need Planning Serving Lane, Douglas and Coos County Dunes Memorial Chapel 2300 Frontage Road, Reedsport, Oregon 97467 • 541-271-2822
