John Robert Kerr

John Robert Kerr, 97, of Meadville, PA, died Tuesday July 4, 2023, following a long life well-lived.  John was born December 26, 1925 in New Castle Pa, the son of Jesse N. and Mary Pierce Kerr.

As a youngster, John was bright, curious, and mischievous.  When he was 11, he wired the telephone so it played over his radio, allowing him to listen in on his older sister’s conversations with her boyfriend.  As a teen, he constructed a large wooden fist with an articulated thumb that he could wiggle with a string for hitchhiking.

In 1943, 17 year old John enlisted in the Navy and was placed in Naval Aviation, operating a Sperry ball turret gun on a PB4Y2 Privateer bomber.  He served in the Pacific theater, flying patrol missions over areas already in Allied hands.  Often, they would be ordered to fly far out over the boringly empty ocean, turn and fly back.  John used the gun controls as a prop to hold whatever book he was reading, an early indication of his life-long love affair with books.  Once asked why he didn’t have a tattoo like many other WWII vets, he replied, “Because I didn’t drink!”

After the war, John studied watchmaking at Bowman Technical School in Lancaster, PA.  It was there that he (a Scots-Irish Methodist) met Gloria Fornesi (an Italian Catholic).  Three months later, ignoring objections from both sets of parents, they got married “to shut everyone up,” and remained happily married until Gloria’s death in 2006.

John worked in his father’s jewelry store in New Castle for a few years and then opened a jewelry store in Meadville. Kerr’s Jewelry Store was a fixture in downtown Meadville for about 40 years, closing in the late 1990’s. In addition to the jewelry store, he operated the Old Surrey Wool Shop (later renamed The Sewing Store).

John became well known for his weekly advertising column in the Meadville Tribune (called “Diamond Chats”), which he wrote with personality and humor. He often referred to Gloria in his column, sometimes even providing her signature recipes.

John was extremely active outside of work. He was always learning something new.  He jogged, square-danced, rode and drove horses, and built a barn by hand with only the help of his young daughters and wife.  He built two strip canoes. He raised bees. He grew and sold rhododendrons.

On the artistic side, John designed and made jewelry, produced beautiful bowls on his wood lathe, took art classes, and learned to sew and knit. He played the banjo, the guitar, the violin, the piano, and became proficient playing the musical saw.

Over the years, John and Gloria’s 100-acre property was home to goats, ducks, horses, exotic chickens, a peacock and peahen, and of course dogs and cats.

John was gentle, compassionate, wise, and honest.  He was also a constant source of fun. Here are just a few examples:

·         One April Fool’s Day, he chocolate-coated small squares of kitchen sponge for his daughters to take to their teachers.  He himself took some to the Taylor Hose Club, and one man went back for seconds!

·         He devised a way to imbed dried flowers in resin and made a paperweight for one daughter that also included all her baby teeth.

·         When his daughters’ pretty, young English teacher came into the jewelry store, he exclaimed, “So you’re Old Lady Switzer!”  (His daughters absolutely never called her that).

·         He placed a want ad in the Meadville Tribune one year, asking people to call and wish Gloria a happy birthday.  Consequently, she was flooded with calls from strangers.

John belonged to the Meadville Rotary Club for over a half century, SCORE, tutored for the READ program, was a founding member of the Apple Valley Racquet Club, and was a member of the International Saw-Players Association.

A committed Christian, John read the Bible every night. He attended several churches over the years, until he found his true church home at North Richmond United Methodist.

John is survived by his daughters Nancy (Douglas) Walker and Anita (Joseph) Szymanski; six grandchildren Aimée (Kevin) Farley, Justin Sheckler, Tara (Anders) Linden, David (Rachael) Szymanski, Evan Szymanski, and John (Emma) Szymanski; and five great-grandchildren Ari Linden, Vera Linden, Aurora Linden, Lavender Szymanski, and Luna Szymanski.

He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Gloria, daughters Geraldine Louise Kerr and Margaret Kerr, and sisters Louise (Paul) McCandless and Jane (Carl) Nelson.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to ROBERT W. WAID FUNERAL HOME, INC. 581 Chestnut Street, Meadville, where visitation will be from 1 pm – 2 pm on Thursday, July 20. A Memorial Service will follow visitation at 2 pm at the funeral home. The memorial service will be live streamed here https://my.gather.app/remember/john-kerr-2023

Interment will follow in Blooming Valley Cemetery.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.WaidFuneralHome.net