Joe Kernan: A Legacy of Impact and Service
It was Election Day 2014. I had only recently been elected Chairman of the St. Joe County Democratic Party the year before and this was my first General Election. I had been working hard and preparing for this moment all year, but was still somewhat nervous and without the experience of most around me.
I was standing in a private office of Democratic Party HQ as I raised my voice and yelled into the phone. I had received multiple reports that the individual on the other end of the phone was harassing voters at a polling location and spreading misinformation in an attempt to intimidate voters.
As I firmly (and loudly) requested this individual cease their activities before I took the next escalation steps, I noticed the office door was cracked open allowing the many others in the open main room to hear my loud exclamations. I ended the call and embarrassingly peeked through the crack to see who all had heard my outbursts. Most in the room avoided eye contact due to the slight air of awkwardness I had caused…except for one. Joe Kernan. Joe did not avoid eye contact. Instead, he looked directly into my eyes…and he was grinning ear to ear.
During my time as Chairman, Joe was a frequent visitor to HQ on Election Day. He would offer to help, bringing food for volunteers or jumping in a car to give someone a ride to the polls. I often thought what a surprise that must have been when the unsuspecting voter who called HQ asking for a ride had the former Mayor and Governor show up as their chauffeur! But generally, Joe just seemed to like being among the chaos of Election Day, spending most of it laughing and chatting with those around the building.
However, at this moment, I hadn’t had the chance to get to know him really well yet, so as our eyes locked, I felt embarrassment hit me again and I quickly retreated back into the private office. Seconds later there was a gentle knock at the door as Joe peeked his head in. With a slight smirk on his face, he asked,
“Doing okay?”
I mumbled a quick explanation of what had transpired and my frustrations with what this individual was doing. I apologized for raising my voice and causing a scene. Joe waved his hand at my apologies as if he was casually shooing a fly from his face and said,
“You did exactly what you are supposed to do. You are doing a great job, keep it up.”
As he turned to leave, I began to do the mental gymnastics of celebrating the fact that a man I greatly admired just told me that I was doing a good job. However, before he walked completely away, he turned back with a grin and said,
“Besides, that guy is acting like an _______ so ______ him.”
And thus, I began to have the privilege of calling Joe Kernan a friend and person I could reliably count on for advice, opinion, or simply a fun time.
I certainly did not know him as long as many, but the hours we spent together resulted in lots of stories — many of them are funny while others contain advice and words that shaped the person that I am today.
Joe taught me that you want to be smart and strategic in decision making, but that it is important to put faith in yourself and that “trusting your gut” is a very real and important thing. He taught me to not let fear stop you from doing what you feel is the right thing to do. He taught me that its okay to just be yourself and resist the temptation to conform into what others might want you to be. Perhaps most important, he taught me to never give up on something that you truly believe in.
Upon reflection, I realize that I am just one person who was granted a limited time span in the sphere of Joe Kernan. But the impression he made on me is very real and long lasting. I can only imagine the impact he must have had on hundreds or even thousands of individuals across his lifetime of servant leadership.
Joe was kind and caring. The best barometer any smart politico can have of an individual’s true character is the opinion of their apolitical spouse, and he was one of my wife’s favorite people. Many of us with young children quickly discovered that Joe loved kids. In fact, if children were present in a room when he entered, he would often approach and joke with them before addressing the adults in the room.
Joe was authentic. You always knew where you stood with Joe. If he liked you, you knew it. If he didn’t like you…well, you definitely knew that. You always got the same Joe Kernan whether it was in the stands of the ballpark, on a bar stool, or in a business meeting
Joe Kernan was a war hero, public servant, and overall great person. But perhaps the most important thing of all is that he was a friend — to hundreds of individuals, to South Bend, to Indiana, and to his country. His loss is felt by all but his legacy will remain forever. Thank you Joe. Thank you for sharing your life with us.
