James F. Kernan

James Francis Kernan died peacefully on Saturday, January 24, 2009, at his home in Cranford. He was 84.
A mass of Christian burial will take place on Tuesday 10 a.m. at St. Helen's Roman Catholic Church in Westfield. Entombment will follow at St. Gertrude's Cemetery, Colonia. Visiting Monday 2-4 and 7-9 at the Gray Funeral Home, 318 East Broad Street, Westfield.

Born in Clearfield, Pa., Mr. Kernan also lived in Philadelphia, Pa., before moving to New Jersey many years ago. In New Jersey, he lived in Roselle, Rahway and Clark before moving to Cranford five years ago.
Husband for 55 years of Joan, father of Mary Joan, Rita, Kathleen and Brian, predeceased by twin sons, William and John, brother of John (Jack), William (Billy) and Edward (Ned) and Rita Marie, predeceased by a brother, Joseph, father-in-law of Philip and Richard, grandfather of Kaitlin, Lauren and Alyssa, step-grandfather of Jessica, Julianne and Richard. He will also be deeply missed by many other nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends.
A veteran of World War II, he successfully completed training at the Army Air Forces Navigation School in San Marcos, Texas, and was a navigator on a B-17 bomber in the 96th bomb group of the Eighth Air Force, based in Snetterton, England. He flew 35 missions, primarily over the industrial Rhineland, in late 1944, including three missions to Merseburg, Germany. He was awarded the Air Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, the European African Middle Eastern Service Medal and the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal for meritorious service.
He founded his own consulting firm, Kernan Consultants, in 1980, and did work for the supermarket industry before starting a resume service in 1984. He wrote more than 2, 000 resumes for clients over a 20-year period.
As an electrical engineer, Mr. Kernan worked in the construction industry for the Austin Company, the Lummus Company and the Joslyn Company, beginning in the 1950s.
He moved to the supermarket industry in 1965 at the Grand Union Co., where he was director of mechanical engineering and utilities. In 1975, he moved to the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., where he was director of engineering and in charge of utilities, maintenance and new construction for the 1, 000-store chain.
Mr. Kernan was recognized widely in the supermarket industry for his expertise on energy conservation, he was sought as a speaker for seminars sponsored by the Food Marketing Institute and other industry bodies. He was chairman of the energy conservation committees of the New Jersey Food Council and the National Association of Food Chains. He was co-author of the Super Market Institute's energy management guide.
He earned of bachelor of electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., in 1950, and pursued an M.B.A. at New York University. He earned his professional engineer's license in 1950.
He was elected to the Rahway Board of Education in 1972 and served one term. He was a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers and a member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers.
He coached CYO girls' basketball at St. Mary's Church in Rahway and coached baseball in the Clark Little League and the Clark Pony League.