Obituary of Donald Kerr

Donald Kerr, former Schenectady School Board member, GE manager and community leader, died at Ellis Hospital on October 23rd following a brief illness. He was 94. Don's favorite role was as a husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather to a large extended family. Many happy days were spent with them at the family camp in the Adirondacks. The high point of every family dinner was spectacular homemade ice cream, hand-cranked by enthusiastic grandchildren. Together with his wife Ruth, he travelled the world, visiting five of six continents, including Antarctica. He loved the outdoors and with Ruth, hiked the Adirondacks and White Mountains. At the age of 72, he went trekking in the Himalayas, with Mount Everest rising majestically in the background. A longtime Yankees fan, he proudly flew their banner. As a boy he saw Babe Ruth hit three home runs in one game. An always hopeful Jets fan, he never wavered in his support. Don was elected to the Schenectady School Board in 1962 and served until 1967. During his tenure on the Board construction began on the Martin Luther King Jr. School. He was employed by the General Electric Company for 35 years, retiring in 1982. He worked in Pittsfield and in 1949 transferred to KAPL, where he served in a number of management positions in GE's naval nuclear power business. A Boy Scout as a youth, he was the founding Scoutmaster of Troop 7 at Schenectady's Zoller School and in 1960 led a Troop from Schenectady to the Boy Scout Jamboree in Colorado Springs. Don received Scouting's Silver Beaver Award given for distinguished service. Don was President of the Board of what is now Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson from 1978 to 1982. He was an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady for 63 years, serving in a number of positions. Born on October 4, 1920 in Des Moines, Iowa, he grew up in New York City. He attended the Horace Mann School for Boys and graduated from Dartmouth College, Class of 1942. He received a BS and a MS in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University and was a Professional Engineer. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War Two, training as a machine gunner. Don was predeceased by his first wife of 34 years, Jean Murray Kerr. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Ruth M. Kerr; children Donald Kerr Jr., Douglas M. Kerr, and Katharine Kerr Gillispie; step children Nancy F. Myers, Eugene David Fink, Frederick C. Fink and Richard L. Fink; grandchildren Christine Haase, Bryan Fink, Jessica Blair, Renee Myers, Vanessa J. Kerr, Christopher D. Kerr, Christopher J. Kerr, Vanya Fink, Nicole Fink and Michael Marsden; and great grandchildren Eric D. Haase, Brooklyn Haase, Jacob Blair, Ada Blair, Ziv Blair, Aria Blair, Benjamin Marsden and Emily Marsden. A Memorial Service will be held on November 22, at 2:00pm at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady, 1221 Wendell Avenue. In lieu of flowers, donations in memorium may be made to Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady, or a charity of the givers choice.