Surrounded by his family, John C. Hern, Sr., 80, of Flag, Arkansas, succumbed to long-time health complications at the VA Hospital in Little Rock on Friday evening, August 7, 2015.
He was preceded in death by his son John Jr.; his father, Orville; his sister, Bessie Morgan; and other cherished members of his extended family.
John is survived by his wife of 51 years, Diane; his daughters and sons-in-law, Crystal Hand (Martin) and Heather Jason (Jeff); his grandchildren, Lauren, Jasmine, Jared, and Jillian; his mother, Edith; his sisters, Wilda Gooden, Velma Hinkle, and Judy Gerhardt; his brothers and sisters-in-law, George (Doris), Bill, Patrick (Sheila), and Don (June); and hosts of nieces and nephews, their children, and their grandchildren.
After growing up in farming communities in Missouri and Illinois and serving honorably in the US Navy during the Korean War era, John settled in Miami, Florida. He continued civil service for nearly 25 years on the City of Miami Fire Department. He was proud to be one of the pioneering members of the first firefighter paramedic team in the nation, using new technologies to save many lives at the scene that would have otherwise been lost during transportation to the hospital. Retirement took him to Flag, where he and his family spent the next 32 years raising cattle and becoming part of the community. His passions included spending time with his friends and family, discussing politics, playing billiards, reading, cooking on the grill, auto mechanics, and enjoying the great outdoors hunting and fishing.
Funeral services for John will be held on Friday, August 14, at 2 p.m., at Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct. (NW corner I-630 and Barrow Rd.), Little Rock, Arkansas. John will be laid to rest at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Memorial donations may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, (501)224-2200. John's online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.
Funeral Service
AUG
14.
2:00 PM (CDT)
Little Rock Funeral Home
8801 Knoedl Ct
Little Rock, AR, 72205
Service
AUG
14.
2:00 PM (CDT)
Little Rock Funeral Home
8801 Knoedl Ct
Little Rock, AR, 72205