Friends, family mourn IU grad student’s death

Kahri Wernimont was still in the fresh stages of mourning, but she needed to speak at her husband’s funeral. She was afraid that if she didn’t, Aaron’s strong faith in God would be overlooked.

Aaron, a graduate student in optometry at IU, died  the morning of March 13. He was asleep and suddenly had trouble breathing.
 
Kahri called an ambulance, but Aaron didn’t make it to the hospital.

She was one of the dozens of old undergraduate friends, new graduate school friends and family members packed into the gymnasium of Pocahontas Area Community School in Pocahontas, Iowa, for the funeral.

Having the ceremony there meant no one had to be turned away from celebrating the life of Aaron Wernimont.

Now, bewildered members of Aaron’s life remember the successful, almost unbelievable life that ended so abruptly and without obvious cause.

***

The wrestling team at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, was in a state of ecstasy.
They’d just won the team’s ninth NCAA Division III wrestling championship, a heated
victory.

The wrestlers laughed and accepted congratulations from fans and prepared themselves for the afterparty.

Three days later came a cold slap. Co-Head Coach Eric Keller was informed that one of the program’s most successful alumni, Aaron, had died suddenly.

The congratulations the team received were now mingled with condolences.

Keller had spoken with Aaron the night the team won the championship. There was nothing wrong with him — no medical problems, no medications. Keller said Aaron had told him he was training for a marathon.

“Then he died Tuesday morning,” Keller said. “He was all excited for our guys, for our after-tournament social. Last time I talked to him was just a couple nights before.”

***

Keller and Aaron were closer than just coach and athlete. They were friends.

Keller remembered a day when he and his family had planned to head to a lake late in summer. Aaron’s family had a cabin on the lake and offered it and the family’s boat to Keller.

He did more, though. Aaron had to work the day Keller and his two sons, wife, father, brother and sister planned to visit.

Before they arrived, Aaron set up the boat, tubing equipment and water skis. The family arrived, and Aaron greeted them warmly before he had to rush to work.

“That was classic Aaron,” Keller said. “He was so excited for us, to see us have a good time.”

That energy carried Aaron through three years of wrestling at Wartburg and a year of coaching.

“To have someone with that natural ability to lead people,” Keller started, trailing off. “It was along the lines of how he carried himself. How he came to the practice room every day. That’s more powerful any day than someone who just talks all the time.”

Aaron transferred to Wartburg after a year at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Keller said Aaron was easygoing and fit in better at the college than the academy.

“He got to Wartburg, and he found a family,” Keller said.

He also found a niche. During his time at Wartburg, Aaron was a three-time All-American.

He won his last 80 matches, including the 157-pound national titles in 2008 and 2009.
Keller said the team used to joke that Aaron’s multiple talents were somewhat ridiculous.

“We used to joke that the guy’s got looks, brains, athleticism. He’s got it all,” Keller said, smiling. “And he did.”

Aaron considered coaching to be a profession, Keller said. He loved interacting with the wrestlers, and the men he worked with considered him a mentor.

Keller said Aaron asked him and the other head coach whether he was cut out to be a college wrestling coach.

The two coaches told him he was, but that he shouldn’t do it. He was too good for it.

“We told him — we said, you can be a doctor. Us two, we can’t be doctors,” Keller said. “The guy had so much to offer, we’re like, ‘You have to go do something else, man.’”

Aaron’s strong grades helped him reach that goal when he enrolled in IU’s optometry school.

Keller said Aaron told him it was a great fit, and Keller wasn’t surprised. Aaron had a knack for everything he tried.

***

Today, Keller follows Kahri’s desire to spread the mission of Aaron’s life.

The importance he placed on church and religion shaped Aaron, Keller said.

“I think it’s powerful to mention because there are so many people who wondered why he was always smiling,” Keller said. “I think for his sake, he’d want that known.”

In that packed, hot gymnasium in Iowa, Keller made sure he did mention it, among other qualities. Aaron’s energy. Intelligence. Drive to succeed.

“He was the kind of guy you hope your kids grow up and be like one day,” Keller said.
 
“I don’t know a better compliment than that. I have two young boys myself, 4 and 2, and I’d have no problem with them being just like him.”