Laverne Joseph Stefan

Vern was born on July 13, 1950 in Park, Kansas, to Pete and Clara Stefan. He spent most of his childhood in Quinter, KS, before moving to Garden City, KS, where he graduated High School in 1968. He attended Garden City Community Junior College, where he received an Associate’s Degree in 1973.

Vern began to learn about the bible in 1976 and was proud to be baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1978. The same year, Vern met and married Sherrie Fisher in Hutchinson, KS, where they spent most of their married life. The two had one daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, in 1984. Vern worked as a machinist at Central Welding in Hutchinson for 31 years, retiring in 2018.

Vern had a number of talents, and enjoyed photography, aerospace history, and antique cars and trucks. A lifelong project was rebuilding a B-25 cockpit, and he fabricated many of the missing parts himself.

In 2016, Vern was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, but he remained active and continued to enjoy his hobbies and family for many years. In 2021, Vern and Sherrie moved to Kansas City, KS, to be closer to their daughter, and the two joined the Chelsea Heights congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Vern passed away peacefully on the afternoon of Monday, February 16, 2026. He is survived by his wife, Sherrie Stefan, daughter Sarah Rosas, brothers Leon Stefan, Wayne Stefan, and Kevin Stefan, and sisters Elaine Ware and Debbie Henderson. He was preceded in death by his parents, Pete and Clara Stefan, and brothers Larry Stefan and Lynn Stefan.

A service will be held on Zoom on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 2pm. Friends in the Kansas City area will be invited to stop by the Stefan/Rosas home afterward to pay respects, and a reception will be held in Hutchinson on a later date.