Gifted, funny, handsome, loving, chaos
Terry was a paradox, embodying both thrill-seeking exuberance and deep empathy. His mother, Vicki, recalled how Terry relished anything that offered danger or excitement: he drove fast, sang loudly and laughed with abandon. “He could scream heavy metal like no other,” Vicki said. Beneath his spirited exterior lay a profound sensitivity toward others. Terry’s natural inclination to help those in need was shown most heroically in the final weeks of his life when he entered a burning building to rescue trapped residents. He then took it upon himself to assist them in replacing their lost belongings, providing appliances, furniture, and clothing.
In keeping with the adrenaline seeking theme, he loved theme parks and the wildest roller coasters. Terry also sought happiness through simpler pleasures such as his dogs, Harley, and Jax. Music was another comfort; playing guitar and singing allowed him to express himself authentically. Most importantly, his now eleven-year-old daughter, Peyton, brought him the greatest happiness and joy. Terry was a BMX state champion and also loved motorcycles, tattoos, selfies, the outdoors and snowboarding. Terry once wrote down his life goals: #1 Make Money, #2 Do Good Deeds. Many family and friends now wear this tattoo and perform good deeds often in memory of Terry and his brother, Zachary.
On Terry’s empathic side, he struggled with societal issues such as seeing unhoused people in need, often providing them with assistance. Terry once predicted he would not live past thirty years old, saying, “I can feel it in my bones.” This chilling premonition remains with Vicki following her son’s passing at the age of twenty-seven. Tragically, both he and his older brother, Zachary, succumbed on the same day due to fentanyl poisoning, which continues to affect Vicki and their other brother Taylor profoundly. They were preceded in death by their father, Patrick, a military veteran who struggled with alcoholism. Their father died by suicide in 2014, causing a downward spiral in the drug use of the brothers.
Talented in practical skills like making furniture, Terry eventually went to school for plasma cutting and welding. His last job was as a plasma cutter. Terry, the youngest of the three brothers, was Vicki’s baby boy and her best friend. “Life without him is one of suffering and heartache,” she said.
“Watching him suffer was my greatest heartbreak in life,” Vicki shared. “It shattered me to the core.” Before, and now after the death of her sons, Vicki runs a non-profit serving people struggling with heroin addiction. She feels that Terry and others like him suffered from a broken system. “Watching someone you love spiral with no help to be found is a profoundly traumatizing experience,” Vicki stated. “My wish is that no family has to suffer through what my family did.”
Terry’s mother, Vicki Kershner, provided the information for this narrative.
April 22, 1988-April 9, 2016-Age 27
Portrait Artist: Clayton Conner
Narrative Writer: Barbara Francois
