Herbert John "Herbie" Kern

Herbert John “Herbie” Kern, 94, of New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on January 12, 2025, closing a life shaped in profound ways by service—to his country, his family, his church, and his community. Born on September 20, 1931, in Harrisburg, Herbie was the eldest of seven children of Herbert and Ethel (Speece) Kern, a role he embraced with a sense of responsibility and quiet pride that never left him.

Herbie grew up in Lemoyne, where he began delivering newspapers as a schoolboy—a route passed from sibling to sibling like a family tradition. A proud member of Lemoyne High School’s Class of 1949, he apprenticed as a ceramic tile setter after graduation. But history had other plans. In October 1952, at age 21, he was drafted into the U.S. Army as the Korean War intensified.

Serving as a medic, Herbie spent two years providing lifesaving care under conditions of unimaginable hardship. For 85 consecutive days of active conflict, he was responsible for tending a platoon of 50 men. He earned multiple commendations, including the Combat Infantry Badge and the Korean Service Medal with two bronze stars. As he liked to say, “the good Lord saved his can,” and he did not squander his good fortune. To his delight, the young corporal became a prolific pen pal during the war, corresponding with over a hundred women throughout the US.

After his honorable discharge in 1954, he traveled to meet several of these correspondents, but fate ultimately brought him to a blind date with a young nurse from Altoona—Shirley Springer. They married on January 12, 1957, and built a fun and loving life together in New Cumberland, raising their children, Kathi and Kevin.

Herbie continued his tile-setting craft and worked on major projects including the Pentagon, Penn State’s main campus, and the iconic red-and-white-checkered exterior of the first McDonald’s in Camp Hill—a fact that forever thrilled his young children. In 1967, Herbie joined the unionized work force at the Quaker Oats Company in Shiremanstown, PA, where he worked as a machine operator until his retirement in 1995. In the 1980s, to his family’s surprise, Herbie began typing letters on his wife’s portable Smith Corona to the President of Quaker Oats at the corporate headquarters in Chicago, documenting safety concerns for workers in the Shiremanstown plant. As a result, Herbie was asked to head a Safety Committee for his local plant and to represent Quaker Oats at national meetings on industrial safety.

A devoted member of Grace United Methodist Church in Lemoyne, Herbie offered his expertise as a tile setter and craftsman to help care for the historic 1893 building. When he lost his beloved wife Shirley in 2005, the congregation embraced him, and it was there he later met his second partner, Shirley Rex—his affectionate “Shirley number two.” Their companionship brought him joy, travel, and renewed purpose for 17 years.

As a retiree, Herbie threw himself into his hobbies and passions. He volunteered for over a decade at the West Shore Senior Center where he packaged meals for seniors, stayed active with former classmates, and enjoyed campground life at Buttonwood. In his basement workshop, he produced a remarkable number of wooden toys for “Toys for Tots,” along with Adirondack chairs, birdhouses, whirligigs, nativity scenes, and anything else requested of him. His latch-hooked rugs—each one requiring months of patient labor—became treasured gifts.

In his final years, Herbie broke his decades of silence about his military service. It started with a small gesture of donning a cap that read “Korean War Veteran,” but it blossomed into a third act of dedicated effort to bring attention to the experience of veterans. From 2022 to 2025, he was honored with a Hometown Hero banner, interviewed by local news, featured in the Pennsylvania Cable Network’s Voices of Veterans project, and twice named Grand Marshal of the New Cumberland Memorial Day Parade. Above all, he cherished invitations to “tell his story.” Whether speaking to JROTC groups, churches, schools, veterans’ organizations, or libraries, he carried the legacy of his fellow soldiers forward with pride, tenderness and humor.

Herbie is survived by his daughter, Kathi Kern (Philip Harling) of Miami; his son, Kevin J. Kern of New Cumberland; grandchildren Kaitlin Kirkessner (Cody), Jamie Kern, and Jacob Kern; great-granddaughter Adalynn; siblings Ethel “Betsy” Steele (Ronald), Marie “Wege” Fortin (Jack), and Charles Kern; sister-in-law Betty “Tootie” Kern; and many beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Shirley; his partner, Shirley Rex; his parents; and siblings James, Paul, and Carolyn Shuff.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, January 19, 2026, at Grace United Methodist Church, Lemoyne, with a viewing beginning at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at 2:30 p.m. at Rolling Green Cemetery in Camp Hill. 

Those wishing to honor Herbie may contribute to Grace United Methodist Church; A New Tomorrow, which provides food and recovery services to veterans; or the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.

Herbie’s life was a testament to the conviction that one person can care deeply, work faithfully, and leave the world better in ways both large and small. His story lives on in the family he loved, the veterans he championed, the community he served, and the countless acts of craftsmanship and kindness he placed into the world.

Photo credit: Amy Spangler