David Jackson Kern

David was born on August 7, 1935, to Lawrence and Virgie Lucille Kern in Longview, Texas. After graduating from White Oak High School, he attended several colleges including Kilgore Junior College, Del Mar College, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&I and TCU.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history and government from UT Austin and moved to Odem, Texas in 1958. He later received his master’s in school administration from Texas A&I Kingsville. As a teacher, coach, and administrator in Odem, he worked hard to ensure that all children received an equitable education. He also served on the Odem City council and later was elected mayor of Odem.

During his tenure as mayor, he visited Japan and was given the key to the city of Yokohama. He was the chairman of the board of the San Patricio County Office of Economic Opportunity, as well as the Director of all federal programs for Odem Independent School district. After leaving Odem, David continued to teach and work in Austin, Bastrop, and Taylor. He was also a faculty member at Antioch Juarez Lincoln College.

Later after partial retirement, he became the head of the educational department at T. Don Hutto Residential Center where he taught natural sciences to inmates and facilitated the construction of a sweat lodge for a group of inmates’ use in their traditional Native American ceremonies.

While in Odem, he provided vital assistance during multiple natural disasters that affected the Gulf Coast in those years. Notably he left during the eye of Hurricane Celia to transport about 40 townspeople from the tornado-struck storm shelter to his home to safety. Afterwards he opened up and managed the school cafeteria for a week so the Beeville Naval Air station could serve meals to the devastated community. He could fix almost anything, read copious books on almost every topic, had an encyclopedic knowledge of WWII and was an excellent gunsmith. He had a dry sense of humor, an infectious smile and a knack for spicing up conversations with idioms and old sayings.

David is survived by five children. Three children from his marriage to Dorothy Ann Cooke Kern -- David Kurt Kern (wife Elsa Enemesia Garza Kern), Kirsten Ann Kern (partner Malcolm Nathan Greenstein) and Kara Lea Kern (husband Robert Owen Morgan).

From his marriage to Cathlene Clifton Cooke Kern, he is survived by Shavonya Clifton Peacock and Lawrence Clifton Kern (wife Kathryn Marie Yohe). He has two granddaughters, Elena Gabrielle Kern and Katherine Anne Kern Schwarz. David is predeceased by his wife Cathlene Kern, his father Lawrence E. Kern, his mother Virgie Childress Kern, his brother Lawrence Eugene Kern, and his sisters, Lucy Francis Kern York, Ellene K. Higdon and Judy Kern Cardino. He was the last remaining of five siblings.

A graveside service will be held at the Austin Memorial Park Cemetery on Friday, June 3 at 11 AM, 2800 Hancock Drive. There will be a gathering at Pease Park afterwards, 1100 Kingsbury St. Austin, TX 78703. Refreshments and snacks will be served. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Doctors without Borders https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org, Cerebral Palsy Awareness Transition Hope https://cpathtexas.org/donate/ or A.B.L.E. Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations https://www.ableensemble.com/donate.