Kennon Jernigan, 20, loved the water and helping others

Tag : Small Size Shoes

"He just loved water, anything to do with water," she said.
Mr. Jernigan swam to championships through his graduation fromNorcross High School in 2006, then attended Georgia College andState University in Milledgeville, majoring in business.
The memorial service for Kennon Lamar Jernigan, 20, of Doraville isat 2 p.m. today at Wieuca Road Baptist Church. He died Friday atEmory Johns Creek Hospital. Autopsy results are pending. The bodywas cremated. H.M. Patterson & Son, Oglethorpe Hill, is in chargeof arrangements.
"Kennon was just a natural-born swimmer," said Matt Masce ofDoraville, his friend and swim league member. "He had that long,lanky body.
"He was goofy and non-graceful, but he was like lightning in water.He was a goofball at everything else. He would trip over his ownfeet. When he would get in the water, he was a speed demon."
Through elementary and middle school, Mr. Jernigan practiced atleast two hours every day year-round at Dynamo Swim Club, Mrs.Jernigan said, adding, "His room is full of awards, trophies andmedals."
Out of water, Mr. Jernigan sang in the choir at Wieuca Road BaptistChurch and went on mission trips. He was particularly affected by amission trip to Montana, said his sister, Leah Jernigan of Atlanta.
Mr. Jernigan was aware of a boy, 7, who had never owned a new pairof tennis shoes. Mr. Jernigan and his friends bought the child apair, but they were too big. The boy would not part with his newshoes for Mr. Jernigan to return them for the proper size.
The child was afraid he would never get the shoes back and wouldhave to keep wearing his raggedy second-hand shoes, Ms. Jernigansaid. It was Mr. Jernigan who got down on the boy's level, assuredhim they would return with another pair the next day and persuadedhim to give up the shoes.
"They got a pair that fit better and brought them the next day,"she said. "Kennon had never seen a kid get so excited about newtennis shoes. He could see what a big impact such a small deed hadon other people."
Mr. Jernigan volunteered for everything from building a Habitat forHumanity House to manning a water table at the Peachtree Road Race,which he ran once and earned his T-shirt, his mother said. Heplayed piano, drums and guitar and loved going to concerts andfestivals, especially for his favorite band, Perpetual Groove.
Even if he was low on money, he would lend a few dollars to afriend or share half his sandwich, Mr. Masce said.
"He was the glue to so many different groups of people," he said."When word got out about what happened to Kennon, within an hour, Ihad 30 different calls from people in eight different cities."
"He was full of joy and love and peace," Mr. Masce said. "He wasjust so unselfish."
Survivors other than his mother and sister are his father, KenJernigan of Doraville; another sister, Joanna Jernigan ofDoraville; and his grandmother and stepgrandfather, Charlotte andJim Bland of Kennesaw.