The joyous celebration of a bachelorette party turned into a nightmare earlier this summer when Makenzi Kern, 26, died suddenly while attending the festivities for Jade Jones, the fiancée of Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.
The shocking news was confirmed by TMZ Sports on Monday, June 16. The party, held on the stunning island of St. Barts, was meant to be a time of laughter and bonding among close friends and family. Instead, it became a scene of grief after Kern experienced a fatal medical emergency. Her family has stated they do not believe foul play, drugs, or alcohol played any role in her death.
Kern passed away just two days after celebrating her 26th birthday. A graduate of Iowa State University, where she cheered for the Cyclones, she was remembered in her obituary as someone who “lived life to the fullest; she was silly, goofy and could brighten everyone’s spirits when she was around.”
Her family released a full obituary online, painting a vivid picture of a woman who brought joy to everyone she met. “To know Makenzi was to love her,” the tribute reads. It highlights her childhood in Council Bluffs, Iowa, her time at Lewis Central High School, and her degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Iowa State, where she deepened friendships that lasted long after graduation.
After college, Kern began her career at the YMCA of Greater Omaha, first as a Youth and Family Director and later as Membership Director at the Armbrust Branch. She was described as dedicated to her job, her friends, and her beloved pets—especially her cat Dusty. “She never wanting to let anyone down or upset them,” the obituary notes, adding that even as a child she would let other kids go down the slide first, saying, “you go first, I’ll get a turn later.”
Kern had a deep love for the water. She once convinced her mom to go swimming during a rainstorm on a trip to Disney World. She loved boating with her dad, water skiing, and had just tried a seabob for the first time in St. Barts. According to her friends, she was having so much fun they had to drag her off it.
Her relationship with her sister, Delani, was especially close. They had recently moved in together. “You may have heard them fighting constantly but anyone who knows them also knows that they would have fought to death for each other if anyone tried to mess with the other one,” the obituary states.
Kern is survived by her mother, Teri Dietchler (David Dietchler); father, Chris Kern (Lona Smart); sister, Delani Kern (Chase Ahlers); boyfriend, Alan Dungan; step-siblings, Kyleigh (Desmond) Austin and Alex Smart; and grandparents.
This heartbreaking incident echoes other recent tragedies in the sports world, such as the fiancée of a former Penn State star killed in a hit-and-run and the death of 23-year-old wrestling prodigy Jordan Nasir in a car crash. The loss of a young life, full of promise and joy, is always devastating.
A celebration of life service is pending. May she rest in peace.
