Kevin Michael Kerr was born August 7, 1961 at St. Mary's Hospital in Kansas City, MO. Kevin came from humbled beginnings. Given up at birth and adopted at three and a half months from Catholic Charities out of the St. Anthony's Orphanage in Kansas City, MO. Kevin's given name came from his birth mother. One of her favorite cousins had been a nun and her name was Sister Mary Kevin. She liked the name Michael so there you have it, Kevin Michael. Yes, believe it or not Kevin was named after a Catholic nun. Kevin was adopted in November 1961 by Quenton and Roberta Kerr. As the story goes, as soon as they left with their new bundle of joy their car was rear ended. Are we starting to see a pattern here? Kevin was adopted into a loving family with its own set of troubles. Roberta spent most of Kevin's infant, toddler and childhood years in and out of mental institutions. When times were good, they were good, when times were bad, they were bad. He stayed with couples in the community while Quenton worked (which they both disliked), was babysat on TWA airplanes at the MCI overhaul facility and as a child sat in on Union negotiations in New York City. Quenton and Kevin always said they saved each other and I believe they definitely did.Their bond was an unconditional love between a father and a son that was unimaginable. Kevin was an only child until circumstances changed.
As Quenton and Joyce (Kevin's third mother) (he always said he was hard on them) came together due to their own set of circumstances Kevin was in the beginning stages of his teenager years. He was blessed with Joyce as his mom and 4 siblings. Quenton and Joyce did the best they could to unite this new union as family. So, can you imagine Kevin getting all the attention and now it was shared with many? This story goes, like his Papaw Kerr, Kevin would eat one thing at a time but with 4 growing siblings you better get it while it is going around or you’re out of luck and hungry. I'm sure he had a hard time adjusting which would be normal, but he never complained or felt any less than anyone else. Kevin was legally adopted by Joyce at the age of 16 or 17 and yes that bond was one of unconditional love also.
Now we get into the infamous teenage years. I'm sure there are many stories that can be shared about those years. I know he loved cars......fast cars.... and girls. Yes, I've heard many stories about Kevin sitting on the top row of the bleachers with his arm around some girl. But thanks to God - I got to be his main girl - soulmate. Now back to the cars. With a family of 5 kids money was at a premium and Kevin was taught the value of a dollar early on. This story involves his 1970 Chevelle (which he loved more than girls). He wanted and needed a car. His dad told him there is the 70 Chevelle in the field. If you can get it running it is yours. DO NOT CHALLENGE Kevin Kerr! When his dad came home from a business trip Kevin had it pulled out of the field and running. So, about that fast car thing Kevin missed his calling because he should have been a race car driver or an attorney. He is the only person I know from Edgerton, MO that received a speeding ticket doing 45 through town, backwards. But all good things must come to an end. Yes, the Chevelle ended up back in the graveyard field and he then got the most coveted car of all, the yellow AMC Matador. AKA: The yellow banana!! We went on our first dates in that car - 8 track tapes and all. It was ugly, but it ran like a striped ape, and yes that car ended up in some graveyard too.
Kevin graduated in May of 1979 as a North Platte Panther. I'm sure there are stories about those years that can (maybe) be shared? Kevin loved working more than school. He loved farming and being in the fields in Missouri. He has plowed, planted, drilled, fertilized and combined many acres in his life time. There wasn't any tractor or combine or grain truck that he wouldn't tackle. He mowed hay, bailed it and put it up in barns in the Midwest area and he worked in the tobacco fields from planting to harvest (may have been where the melanoma came from). He worked with cows and hogs while mixing feed and always had stories about hogs and their babies. He worked for one day in the autopsy room at the Spelman Memorial Hospital and also did janitorial duties there. See where his passion came from regarding his work and how meticulous he was?
In 1981 he graduated from A&P school in Kansas City at the old KCI airport. In 1982 Kevin became an employee of Southwest Airlines in Houston, TX as a Ramp Agent. Oh, the stories to be told here...…… And a whole new set of family/friends we gained. Kevin and I were engaged in November of 1982 and he transferred the first part of 1983 back to Kanas City as a Ramp Agent. We were married in June of 1983 and married for yes 35 years and 3 months. A lifetime of memories and love. Most people I met said I deserved a metal. I think it was Kevin who deserved that metal. Anyway, we were like most couples we had our ups and downs, but we always knew on what foundation our marriage was based on. There isn't enough room for all the memories we made in all those years...……….
During our 35 years and 3 months of marriage, I can say, our greatest moments here on earth were the birth of our children Kaleb Michael - November 1986 and Kimsey Megan - April 1989. Our new daughter Brittany Lynne joined the Kerr family in June 2017 and the birth of our first grandchild will be this summer. Papaw Kerr is sitting on cloud infinity right now and letting everyone know he will someday meet his grandchild in Heaven. Also, another great moment was getting his favorite beloved dog - Kirby. Kirby made his heart feel good. Kevin and I always said if we had nothing on this earth, we were blessed enough to know that Kaleb and Kimsey were believers in our Lord and that we would all someday be together again.
Kevin took a hiatus from SWA in 1990, of which I never let him live down, to seek employment with TWA in Kansas City. It was a hard decision for him to make but he wanted to use his A&P license, work at TWA where he had grown up and allow our children to grow up around family. That difficult life decision afforded our children the memories they have with their Missouri family. Those are memories that can't be bought with gold or silver. Even though it was a hard decision but one we knew would be best for our children. We all know how the TWA saga ends. Kevin tried his hand at many different careers, but the airplane strings were too tight. Kevin became an employee of United Airlines in December 1999. Our family made the move to Indiana in May 2000. It felt like home from day one. Many, many new friends/family were made. Life changed as we all knew it on 9-11-01. Kevin was once again laid off and unemployed. Southwest Airlines hired Kevin in April 2002 as a Tech Writer. We went back home to Southwest in the Dallas Texas area making our home in Van Alstyne Texas. We have been blessed beyond measure to call Southwest home and family. Kevin fought hard for his Company and his Leaders. In the early part of 2007 we made the move back to Indiana and Kevin was employed as a maintenance supervisor with Southwest as they contracted their maintenance with AAR Corporation.
In November 2015 Kevin was diagnosed with kidney cancer and the left kidney was removed on Christmas Eve 2015. January 2017 and January 2018 Kevin was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Even after many surgeries and multiple treatments he was always up and at it in full Kerr force. You were never going to see any grass grow under his feet and that leads us into his final day.
Friday, September 14th was another normal Kevin Kerr day. Up at 4:00 a.m. and off to work. Giving Southwest and AAR the best he had. Fair, honest and total integrity. He left work early to pay a speeding ticket, mowed the grounds at our Church and then came home to take me to dinner. God had a plan again that night that we were not aware of. I was suddenly surrounded by the Brownsburg fire department, Medic 131, engine 131 and ladder 131, our Pastor, family from Southwest and family friends. A piece of my heart goes out to everyone that was there to LUV me and support me. To every person from that day on you all will always have pieces of our hearts. Kevin Kerr retired in Heaven, but I've said he left us in good hands. We will always have the biggest family in the world. Family, friends, Church family, Southwest family and our AAR family. Thank you for being a part of his journey. He finished the race and kept the faith until the last moment. Gods speed to my babe!!!!!
What was God’s plan here?
Anyone who truly knew Kevin knows how God worked all this trauma into his life. The kids and I witnessed Kevin save a woman who was trying to commit suicide all because his instincts of his childhood kicked in. Most would not have ever guessed this is how this man’s life would have started out. He never ever used this as an excuse or a crutch. He always said you play the cards you are dealt. Kevin had a very compassionate heart. He loved deeply with that heart. He hated to see people hurting or hungry. He would have given anyone the shirt off of his back plus some. Kevin earned his stripes in life and was a man that was playful, childlike, curious, funny, entertaining, loyal, passionate, fair, honest and full of integrity and full of character. He was not perfect, but the mold was definitely broken when he was born. He was one of a kind and free to be the person he was meant to be.
As I finish the most important part of this story, I want you to know - I knew Mr. Kevin Kerr and his inner workings and thoughts better than anyone. Scary I know!! Kevin would want all of you to know the MOST IMPORTANT thing about his life. I stated Kevin's humbled beginnings. God does not make mistakes he could have been very easily aborted and unwanted. But his life mattered. His life that had to be so traumatizing as a young child. His relationship with his father regarding his unconditional love. Kevin had many trails and tribulations. Again, not perfect but the best he could be. Kevin was a Member of the Mt Zion Baptist Church in Edgerton Missouri at an early age. He was baptized in the creek in Edgerton. After we married we became members of the Ridgely Christian Church. Members of the Mt Zion Baptist Church and formally the Brownsburg Baptist Church. He like most of us get distracted by life and the unknown. Our priorities sometimes get lost and we don't concern ourselves with our heart or our God. I have to say Kevin was at the most PEACE I have ever seen him in, in his whole entire life the last several months before his passing. He followed our Pastors around like a little puppy dog starved for as much God and Jesus as he could get. I would find him on the back porch at 3:00 am reading his bible and listening to sermons. He would get home from work and be on the back porch again soaking up every word he could in the bible. Kevin knew who was humbled, who was unwanted, who agape loved him, who went through many trials and tribulations, who was perfect, who knew every hair on his head. It was his true father - his heavenly father. Jesus changed Kevin's life because Kevin simply believed in his heart and accepted the gift of eternal life. He trusted that Jesus suffered, bled and died for his sins. The bible is very clear about Heaven and where the believers in Jesus will be after death. Kevin would now ask if something were to happen to you in a blink of an eye do you know where you would spend eternity? Kevin would not want any family or friend to pass up this free and simple gift!!
