Stanis Frederick Kern

Stan Kern grew up in Alberta on a mixed farm five miles west of the City of Leduc, Alberta. He was the youngest son to Alfred and Alice Kern. He had an older sister Eunice, and brother Eugene. His brother recalls Stan playing with the calves as a child and his love for animals developed living on the farm.

Stan moved with his parents to the city of Leduc in his later teenage years after his parents were involved in a bad car accident. Sports were his life in and out of school, especially as a hockey goalie and a fastball pitcher.

Stan started playing organized fastball at the age of 16 with the Fredericksheim Church League. He played with and for the following teams: Rollyview Jr’s, Leduc, Edmonton Playboys, Betta Well Riggers, Calgary Power Chiefs, Edmonton Sun Life Red Sox and Victoria Bate.

On May 29, 1965, Stan married Joan Roth and for the first 8 years they lived in Leduc where their 3 children Trevor, Michelle and Rhonda were born. They lived in Leduc from 1965-1973. Stan, along with his brother-in-law, rented 160 acres and enjoyed farming for a few years before moving to BC.

He was persuaded by Herb Bate of Victoria to move to Victoria to pitch for the Victoria Bate Softball team. Stan moved his family in 1973 and lived in Langford until 1994. Stan played ball for Bate for many years and was a focused player and a fierce competitor as one of the top pitchers in his day. All the years of playing the sport he loved finally took its toll on his body. When in 1979, at the age of 37, he made the decision to retire due to a very serious back injury, he had more time on his hands and started to coach his son Trevor.

After Stan’s ball career was finished he and Joan bought Langford Rental Shop and owned that business until 1984. In 1984, Stan and Joan bought 5 acres and moved to Abbotsford BC as Stan was offered a job coaching the Men's Senior A team, the Van City Magicians. After coaching the Magicians, he coached his son in Abbotsford and in 1987 won the Junior A National’s. He then went on to coach the Senior A team Abbotsford Fast as Flight. Stan coached the teams Trevor played on from Pee Wee until Senior A. He really enjoyed coaching and being around the guys, often commenting that they were fun times. Stan spent many hours pitching with Trevor and Michelle, teaching them what came so naturally to him. Trevor and Michelle played Senior A while Rhonda stopped playing in Midget.

For seventeen years, Stan was involved in Fastball. He spent seven years with Victoria Bate, possibly one of the greatest teams of all time, at least in Canada. Stan said that the guys he played with and against over the years had made him a better player.

His resume would include four Canadian Championship wins, numerous Provincial championships, many Top Pitcher and MVP awards and a share at the World Championships in 1976. Stan was inducted into the following Halls Of Fame: BC, Softball Canada, Nor-West, Softball Alberta, and Leduc.

Stan loved living on their acreage as his cows, dogs and cats brought him great joy. Stan and Joan kept a meticulous yard in Langford and Abbotsford, and often received comments about how nice their yard looked. Stan liked watching sports on TV with Trevor, especially the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Eskimos. He also enjoyed listening and whistling along to gospel music and could sing quite well. As he had learned the guitar and accordion as a child: now and again he would bring out the accordion to play for his kids, which gives them many fond memories. Stan enjoyed carpentry and was very skilled at woodworking, making beautiful lawn furniture and four dollhouses. He hand-made the dollhouse furniture cutting it with his scroll saw to get as much detail into the pieces as possible. Using real brick for the fireplaces, he upholstered the chairs and wall papered the walls while Joan made curtains, bedspreads and pillows and would crochet little rugs for the floor. He enjoyed the times when family and friends would come visit and when his kids’ friends came over for BBQs, games night or just to visit.

Stan died at the Rockyview Hospital in Calgary from heart failure while visiting his daughter Rhonda. He is lovingly remembered by his son, Trevor (Dana) of Bradner, BC; daughters, Michelle (Chris) Rottier of Dapp, AB and Rhonda (Mark) Gjosund of Calgary, AB; grandchildren, Hannah and Jared, good friend Bobbi Stout of Abbotsford, BC, and his 4 nieces and 2 nephews.

He is survived by his brother Eugene (Elenor) Kern and 2 sisters-in-law Beverly (Orville) Radis and Claudette Roth, and was predeceased by his wife Joan of 46 years in 2011, parents Alfred and Alice Kern, and sister Eunice.

Stan’s wishes were to be buried by his wife at the Fredericksheim Cemetery, Leduc Alberta.

HEBREWS 13:5 – “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”