Frankfort Mayor Chris McBarnes has issued a statement on the passing of Kaspar Media CEO Vern Kaspar.
Friends:
Today (Friday), we lost a true community legend with the passing of Vern Kaspar. For those of you who may not have heard, Vern passed away in his sleep early this morning, just 10 days shy of his 96th birthday.
Vern was incomparable.
A consummate seeking of information, interested in so many different current events, people and places, Vern spent his entire life learning and making friends around the world while sharing his interests and vast amount of knowledge with all of us.
The time our City leadership team spent with him each week on Partyline challenged us to stay on our toes and be ready to answer Vern’s ever-present robust questions. He made us all think deeper and longer about the topics at hand to help ensure we were on the right track.
A WWII veteran, radio broadcast industry pioneer, world traveler and advanced extra amateur radio operator, Vern’s experiences could fill several books.
From my first day in office, I appreciated Vern’s love for Frankfort and his deep commitment and financial generosity in seeing so many of our projects succeed. A significant piece of our Ivy Tech campus is named Kaspar Hall due to Vern’s unwavering belief in the importance of this crucial educational resource in our community.
To Vern’s family and loved ones, we extend our deepest sympathy and send our thoughts and prayers during this very sad time. For our Frankfort community, a great leader is gone, but his positive impact on the success of our city will be felt for generations to come.
Rest in peace, Vern and God bless you.
Mayor Chris McBarnes