In memorium: Dr. Rolf Robert Kern

On Friday, Apr. 21, Dr. Rolf Robert Kern, a key figure in the rise of the Gerling Global General and Reinsurance companies, succumbed to heart failure and passed away peacefully at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.
Born on Aug. 5, 1927 in Freiburg, Germany, Rolf Kern and brother Fritz worked the Bakerei Kern before a war-torn Germany saw him imprisoned in a Siberian camp at the age of 18. Prior to immigrating to Toronto, Canada in 1958, he helped spearhead the North American expansion of the Gerling Konzern insurance operations.
His business savvy and intelligence earned him the position of president and director of Gerling Global General and Reinsurance companies.
Headquartered in Cologne, Germany, Gerling’s operations include numerous companies and branches in 20 countries. In 2004, Gerling achieved a premium income of around EUR4.2 billion (US$5.2 billion) with a staff of 6,800 employees
While at Gerling, Kern led the organization to an unprecedented record of 10 straight years of underwriting profit.
Kern completed his Ph.D in Economics at the University of Freiburg. During his studies, Rolf traveled extensively and was honored as the first German student invited to the United States by the Rotary Club. His passion for beauty in many forms was evident in the rose gardens of his Willowdale, Ontario home and Muskoka cottage, and in his appreciation of music and modern dance.
Predeceased in 1998 by Inge, his wife of 40 years, Kern was a loving and devoted father to his three girls Rona, Barbara, and Petra. He is also survived by his five grandchildren.