David D. Kepner, 70, of Mifflintown (Mexico), died at 12:47 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, at his home.
Born Jan. 3, 1946, in Port Royal, Juniata County, he was a son of the late French W. and Ruth M. (Hart) Kepner. His first wife, Jean F. (Hockenberry) Kepner, preceded him in death on May 17, 1996. On June 5, 1998, he married his surviving wife, Sharon K. (Smith) Kepner, with whom he was blessed to share more than 18 years of marriage.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by: his children, Jill M. Kerstetter and her husband, Scott, of Millerstown, Julie A. Colyer and her husband, Eric, Corey D. Kepner and his wife, Teresa; stepson Ronald R. Horne, all of Mifflintown; sister, Joan M. Helwig and her husband, Raymond, of Mt. Joy; nine grandchildren, Josh Kerstetter, Amber Zimmerman, Jared Fulkroad, Ryan Kerstetter, Shalyn Kepner, Nick Kerstetter, Chase Kepner, Luke Kerstetter and Logan Kerstetter; two great- grandchildren, Landon Zimmerman and Shyler Zimmerman.
He was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Kristen R. Kerstetter, in infancy.
Dave was a 1964 graduate of Tuscarora Valley High School and a member of the Port Royal Presbyterian Church. He was also a board member of the Juniata County Agricultural Society, the Juniata County Fair Board and the Port Royal Speedway Board.
On May 11, 1977, he started his career with PennDot, Mifflintown as a diesel mechanic and retired as the shop foreman on June 25, 2004, after 27 years of service.
Dave had a passion for racing at many local tracks, including, Port Royal Speedway, Selinsgrove Speedway, Williams Grove Speedway, Hagerstown Speedway and Bedford Speedway, where he won more than 100 feature races. His racing legacy will live on in his willingness to help his friends in the racing community and his signature number 12 K. His love of racing spanned three generations of his family, through his ownership of his son and grandson’s race cars. Another of his daily joys was attending the brunch club at Stop 35, where he will be greatly missed.
A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 28, 2016, at the Brown Funeral Homes Inc., 100 Bridge St., Mifflintown, with the Rev. Crystal M. Lyde officiating. Interment will follow in the New Church Hill Cemetery, Port Royal.
A viewing will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016, at the funeral home.
For those that wish, memorial donations in Dave’s memory may be made to Sun Home Hospice, 61 Duke St., P.O. Box 232, Northumberland, PA 17857.
For online tributes and condolences please visit www.brownfuneralhomes inc.com.
Contributed by rkohler3 on 4/24/16 - Image Year: 1964
Graduation photo of David from the 1964 Tuscarora Valley High School Yearbook.
Contributed by rkohler3 on 4/24/16 - Image Year: 2014
50TH REUNION TVHS Class of 1964 held 50th Reunion Nov 2 [2014] at Turbett Grange. Attending were (front row, l-r) teachers Henrietta Speer, Mary Sanders, Paula (Zlnn) Kennedy, Harry Baumgardner, Ronald Hart; (middle row) Alice (Boyer) Gray, Nancy (Smith) Donmoyer, Connle (Rice) Swartz, Marcia (Rice) Gray, Paula (Bergstresser) Crimmel, Barbara (Bowsman) Reeder, Roger Parsons, Peggy (Wert) Love; (back row) Fred Towsey, Larry Noss, Turk Lilley, Harry Leach, Saundra (McNaughton) Burdge, Dave Kepner
