Mark S. Kern – Ewing

The Rend Lake College community lost one of its most impactful leaders Thursday. Mark S. Kern, the longest-serving president in Rend Lake College’s history, passed away March 8, 2018.

Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, March 12, at Whittington Baptist Church. Service will be at 1 p.m. with burial immediately following at Oak Hill Cemetery. Cory Garmane, an RLC alum, will sing songs to open and close the service, and State Rep. Dave Severin, Franklin County Circuit Clerk Jim Muir, and RLC Foundation Board Member Sam Mateer are scheduled to speak. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rend Lake College Foundation Mark S. Kern Memorial Fund to assist Rend Lake College students.

Funeral arrangements are with the Leffler Funeral Home of Benton.

Mark Kern spent 40 years of his working life in the Illinois Community College System – longer than any employee in the history of the system, according to the Illinois Community College Trustees Association at the time.

Some of his honors include:

· Induction into the RLC Sports Hall of Fame class of 2008 for his support of Warrior athletics

· Franklin County 4-H “Outstanding Alumnus” and Franklin County Soil Conservation “Farmer of the Year”

· One of three Illinoisans selected for the Cooperative Extension Cow Tour in 1987

· 2001 Statewide Commercial Producers Award

· Past Vice President and Secretary of the Illinois Council of Community College Administrators

· Past member of the Benton Consolidated High School Board of Education

· Kern farmed in partnership with his father, Frank, for many years, and later owned and operated a 660-acre farm with 100 head of beef cows

Mark Kern is survived by his wife Pat; children Frank Kern (wife Patty), Eric Kern, Brian Kern (wife Summer), Jason Kern (wife Janie), and Megan Williams (husband Chris); and Pat’s daughter Melissa Richardson (husband Tim). Mark and Pat have eight grandchildren. They include, Caden, Charli, Ellsie, Cash, Landon Wesley, and Hunter Kern. Pat’s grandchildren include Gavin and Whitley Richardson. Mark’s first wife and the children’s mother Lana Barminski-Kern.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents: Frank Wesley and W. Juanita Kern; his daughter Heather Kern; and a grandson Kern Allan Williams.

To view the Rend Lake College press release, visit www.RLC.edu

To leave online condolences to the family, or to share memories of Mark, visit www.lpfuneralhome.com