USAF (Ret) Col. Charles W. Kern

Col. Charles W. Kern (USAF, Ret), 84, of San Antonio, passed away on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital in Westover Hills. Born on January 16, 1931. Son of the late Dr. Ellis and Cecile (Caplinger) Kern. Graduated from Jefferson High School in 1948 and Arizona State University, 1966. Graduated from pilot training in April 1953 and was checked out in several different aircraft, one of them being the U2, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for reconnaissance missions over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Other decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star, among others. Overseas assignments include Greenland, Vietnam, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, and Germany. He retired in 1981. After retirement, Charlie and his wife Nancy lived in Honolulu, Hawaii for a number of years then returned to San Antonio to the Air Force Village retirement community. They traveled extensively worldwide, including the Antarctic, Japan, Korea, and the Caribbean. Charlie was known lovingly as "MacGyver" by his family, as he was famous for his ability to fix just about anything with the barest of supplies. He was quite knowledgeable about engines, guns, hunting, fishing, and of course airplanes. Charlie is survived by his wife of 60 years, Nancy Booth of Cambridge, Ohio; sons Charles Kern, Jr. of Atlanta and William Kern of Seoul, South Korea; daughter-in-law Jeong Taegyeong of Seoul; and grandchildren Tamaki Kern of New York City and Wilson Taemin Kern of Seoul. He was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter Kay, and his older brother Joseph Kern. He requested no funeral, memorial, or graveside services. He will be interred in the columbarium at Fort Sam Houston.