Thomas Charles Kerns                                                                                             November 20, 1942 - September 22, 2026 

The family of Thomas Charles Kerns is saddened to announce his passing at the age of 83 on September 22, 2026, in Chesapeake, Virginia.

He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 46 years, Janet Marie; his children Christine Lynn (Marco), Thomas Hutchison (Elizabeth) and Timothy Andrew (Cathy); six grandchildren (Thomas Hutchison, Elliott McGill, Gillian McCoy, Caroline Grace, Lewis Young, Hana Christine) and two great grandchildren (Thomas Hutchison, Walter John) as well as numerous relatives and friends.

Tom was born in 1942 in Altoona, Pennsylvania to Weldon and Ruth (Creighton) Kerns, the middle son in a family of three boys. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Leroy and John.

Tom was proud of his hometown and had countless stories of his time at Keith Junior High and Altoona High School where he stood out on the gridiron, and in 2006 was inducted into the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame. He often shared fond memories of Altoona cuisine: Scrapple, Texas Hot Dogs and the Meadows.

Among his greatest accomplishments was graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point where he was a 3-year starter for the Black Knights football team (BEAT NAVY!). His fellow teammates were his closest lifelong friends. He was also proud that during his four years at West Point he never “walked the area”, a punishment reserved for various rule infractions, and that Army beat Penn State every year he played.

Tom was a graduate of the grueling U.S. Army Ranger School, and he carried his Ranger Tab with immense pride. He was honored to be a solider in the 82nd Airborne division, and for his service in Vietnam was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Purple Heart, Gallantry Cross with Silver Star Device (South Vietnam) and Bronze Star Medal with “V” device.

Tom passed on a sense of adventure to his family that likely started with hikes up Wopsy (Wopsononock Mountain) and included getting lost in the Pisgah National Forest. There are many fond memories of family canoe and bicycling trips. He will always be remembered for his big smile, warm hugs, and sense of mischievousness. Well done, Tom, be at peace.

A Celebration of Tom’s life with Army Military Funeral Honors will be held at 1:00PM on Monday, October 19, 2026, in the Chapel of Oman Funeral Home and Crematory, 653 Cedar Rd., Chesapeake, 23322. A reception will be held in the funeral home following the service.

Tom will be laid to rest on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 11:00AM in Albert G. Horton Jr., Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 5310 Milner’s Rd, Suffolk VA  23434.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org The American Legion at www.legion.org or the charity of one’s choice.