Terry Kearn

Terry Kearn, 69, passed away on August 18, 2026, in Lyman, South Carolina, after a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was born on August 23, 1956, in Concordia, Kansas, to Harold and Maxine Kearn.

Terry spent his childhood in Jamestown, Kansas, before moving to Concordia during his senior year of high school. He went on to attend Kansas State University, graduating in 1983 with a degree in engineering, a career choice that fit a man who could rarely resist figuring out how something worked, why it worked, or how it could probably work better.

A lifelong Kansas State fan, Terry loved cheering on the Wildcats and was especially passionate about Kansas State football. He was also a devoted Kansas City Chiefs fan, sticking with them through enough difficult seasons to fully appreciate the good ones.

Throughout his life, Terry called several places home, living in Kansas, California, Alabama, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.

Terry dedicated 35 years of his career to Boeing as an engineer, work that remained a source of tremendous pride throughout his life. During his distinguished career, he contributed to work involving the B-1, B-2, and B-52 bombers. He also worked on the NASA Space Station while living in Huntsville, Alabama. In short, Terry spent much of his career working on things that flew very fast, very high, or both.

He received numerous awards for innovation throughout his career, reflecting his exceptional talent, creativity, and dedication. Terry had the mind of an engineer even after the workday ended, which meant there was usually a solution to every problem, although the explanation of that solution could occasionally take a while.

While Terry accomplished much professionally, his greatest joy was his family. He is survived by his beloved wife, Kelley Kearn. Terry and Kelley were married on May 16, 1981, and shared 45 years of love, memories, adventures, and family together.

He is also survived by his children, Nathan Kearn and his wife, Lorya Kearn; and Amy Baxter and her husband, Dylan Baxter. His grandchildren, Hayden and Wyatt Kearn, and Autumn and Lottie Baxter, were a cherished part of his life.

Terry is also survived by his siblings, Kathy Bazzano and her husband, Carmen; Gary Kearn and his wife, Helen; and Susan Kiburz and her husband, Kurt.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Maxine Kearn.

Terry will be remembered for his brilliant mind, his remarkable career, his loyalty to Kansas State and the Chiefs, and above all, his love for his family. His work helped create things that traveled across the skies and beyond them, but his greatest legacy will always be the people he loved, the family he helped build, and the stories and memories they will carry with them.