Daniel Robert McKernan, age 75, passed away on Oct. 8, 2025, in Bakersfield, California, from complications of pulmonary fibrosis.
He was born Feb. 24, 1950, in St Clair, Michigan, to Tom and Dolly McKernan. While growing up, he and brother Mike rode bikes, looked for lizards and frogs and didn’t come home until dark.
Younger brother Ken was born in 1959, shortly before the family moved to Goleta, when his father was transferred from General Motors in Detroit to AC Delco.
Dan attended La Cumbre Jr. High, La Colina Jr. High, and Goleta Valley Jr. High, and was in the first graduating class. He then attended San Marcos High School while Dos Pueblos was being built. Dan was in the first DP graduating class in 1968.
Growing up in Goleta, Dan spent plenty of time exploring, hiking and backpacking in the Los Padres National Forest, as well as in the redwood forests in Northern California with brothers Mike and Ken.
The brothers also spent time helping their dad restore Model A cars and were members of the Elks Club.
After graduation, Dan went to work for the Forest Service as a Hot Shot, fighting fires in the Los Padres Forest. After that, he joined the Air Force and became a mechanic as a sergeant and served in the Vietnam war.
When Dan returned from Vietnam, he became an HVAC mechanic until he retired in 2015.
Dan married late in life to the love of his life Lisa Ryker in April 2017 in Bakersfield. She was the girl next door, growing up across the street from where we lived. The lovely backyard wedding was a joyful event, attended by all the neighbors and family from near and far.
Dan was thrilled to join Lisa’s large family including Lisa’s parents Ron and Elaine whom he and Lisa later cared for when they moved next door in Prescott, Arizona. They decided to move to Prescott, where they had their dream home.
They did a lot of traveling all over the United States, even taking Tom, who was 88 at the time, on a road trip back east to see relatives and to visit his old university.
After several years in Arizona, they had to move back to Bakersfield due to Dan’s health difficulties. But unfortunately, Dan only was able to be in their new house for about three months until his passing.
A memorial service was held in Bakersfield and friends and family from all over the U.S. celebrated the life of this happy-go-lucky guy who will be missed by so many.
Dan is survived by his wife Lisa; brothers Michael (Janine) and Kenneth (June) and their children and grandchildren; also his stepchildren Cindy (Ryan), Cory (Cynthia) and their children; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins; brother in-law Steve (Vergie) and brother-in-law Mike and family.