William Arthur Kerns Jr., 56, took his last breath, surrounded by his family on Friday, July 31, 2020.
Bill was born on Sept. 20, 1963, in Morgantown, a son of the late William Kerns Sr. and the late Doris Mae Murphy Kerns. On July 23, 1988, he married his wife of 32 years, Jennifer Bate Kerns, of Dilliner, Pa. Together, Bill and Jennifer raised two children, Ashley Kerns-McMillen (Deon McMillen II) and Justin (Destinee) Kerns, also of Morgantown.
Bill was a talented musician and a founding member of The Landing Lights, a southern gospel group, sharing their ministry throughout the tri-state area for nearly 40 years. Bill was a dedicated member to his home church of 12 years, Zoar House of Prayer, where he was the church’s pianist. Bill took pride in making the world around him a beautiful place, whether it was decorating extravagantly for Christmas each year or embellishing the sanctuary of his beloved country church.
Bill was preceded in death by his sister, Joyce Brady; father, William; brother, Jeffrey Turner Sr.; stepmother, Dolores Kerns; brother, Gary Turner; mother, Doris; and his beloved grandparents, Joe and Evelyn Kerns.
He is survived by his wife, Jennifer; his two children, Ashley and Justin; his ornery cat, Benny Charcoal; sister, Judy Turner, of Lancaster, Pa.; brothers, Randy (Tonya) Kerns, of Fairmont, Robert Kerns, of Columbus, Ga., Brad (Kim) Kerns, and Noel (Sharon) Kerns, both of Morgantown; as well as his best friend of 38 years, Allen Morgan, of Morgantown; and many aunts, uncles nieces, nephews and cousins.
Honoring the family’s wishes, cremation is being provided by Fred L. Jenkins Funeral Home.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. Please follow The Landing Lights Facebook page for updates.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Bill’s memory to the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation at https://cjdfoundation.org/donate
Condolences:
www.fredjenkinsfuneralhome.com
