Makenzi Kern is being remembered by family and friends after her unexpected death during a St. Barts bachelorette trip for Jade Jones, the fiancée of Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.
Kern died on June 8 while celebrating Jones' upcoming wedding, according to family members and reports published this week. She had turned 26 just two days earlier.
The tragedy unfolded during what friends described as a once-in-a-lifetime Caribbean getaway. According to Kern's obituary, she passed away from health complications while surrounded by friends on the island of St. Barthélemy. Furthermore, The New York Post reported that Kern's family does not believe foul play, alcohol, or drugs contributed to her death. The exact circumstances surrounding her death have not been publicly disclosed.
Kern and Jones developed a close friendship while cheering together at Iowa State University, where Haliburton also played basketball before beginning his NBA career. The trip was intended to celebrate Jones and Haliburton's upcoming August 1 wedding.
Days before the tragedy, Jones shared photos from the vacation showing the group enjoying the beaches and boating excursions around St. Barts, captioning the post, "hopped on a flight to cloud 9."
Family members painted a vivid picture of Kern's final days in an obituary that highlighted her love of adventure and time on the water. "She loved boating with her dad, water skiing, and got to try out a seabob for the first time in St. Barths," the obituary reads. "According to her friends, they had to drag her off because she loved it so much, evidence that she was having an amazing time."
Her family also described her as someone who "lived life to the fullest" and "could brighten everyone's spirits when she was around." Another passage captured the personality that friends say made her unforgettable: "To know Makenzi was to love her."
Beyond her connection to Jones and the high-profile NBA couple, Kern had built a life centered on community service and youth development. After graduating from Iowa State in 2022 with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, she joined the YMCA of Greater Omaha and eventually became Membership Director at the Armbrust Branch.
Friends and family remembered her as deeply loyal, noting that she "never wanted to let anyone down or upset them."
The obituary recalled a childhood habit that followed her into adulthood: "You go first, I'll get a turn later."
Neither Haliburton nor Jones has publicly addressed the loss.
