Don G. Kern

Don G. Kern 3/18/1945 – 12/4/2020

Don was born in Topeka & spent most of his life here. He was the son of Kenneth & Stella Kern-Fly. He graduated from Topeka West High School in 1963. He attended Washburn University. He served in the US Army. His sister, Patty Bruner lives in Sarasota, FL. with husband Bill, his brother, Kim lives in Baldwin, KS. His daughters, Taylor Dix lives in Topeka & daughter Kim Bednasek lives in St. Cloud, FL. Don loved them & his grandchildren very much & was proud of each of them. His beloved wife, Abbie Loyd-Kern, was Don's partner in life. She was at his bedside when he died suddenly at the hospital.

Don renovated houses & buildings throughout his career, receiving many awards for his preservation work. He enjoyed working hard every day of his life & liked to finish his day reading about history. He loved the feeling of accomplishment; One of his greatest, was moving a large 3 story brick house to a new location, restoring it & opening a beautiful B&B. While Don & Abbie had many projects, most recently restoring an older building in the NOTO Arts District, perhaps Don's most notable iconic place in Topeka's history will be MOOD'S UNLIMITED, a counter-culture store he started in 1969. Don's sudden passing at this time of year & while we're all trying to get through a pandemic is especially devastating to all who loved & admired him.

Contributions can be made to the American Heart Association or our local Helping Hands Humane Society