Obituary: Ralph Kerr
Ralph Kerr was born in Farmer's Branch, Texas, April 17, 1916, and died Aug. 24, 2010, in Prescott, Ariz.
He attended Sunset High School in Dallas and North Texas Agricultural College in Arlington. He married the girl next door, Hazel Ruth Walker, and shortly thereafter joined the Soil Conservation Service at Gallup, N.M.
During WWII, he served in the civilian Army Corps of Engineers building the air base at Pecos, Texas. After a short time in Albuquerque, where he returned to the SCS, he settled in Roswell, N.M. In 1952, he left government service to join the Jenson Construction Co., first as general manager and later as co-owner with Bill Dunlap. He later sold that company and moved to Albuquerque where he rejoined the Corps of Engineers as Office Engineer for the construction of the Cochiti Dam. After his retirement, he alternated homes in San Jose and Palm Springs, Calif., until he remarried and returned to Albuquerque.
A life-long Presbyterian, he served as a Ruling Elder and Synod Representative to the Presbytery in that church for many years. He was also active in the Roswell Masonic Lodge and the Albuquerque Ballut Abyad. In retirement, he painted, researched the family history and wrote his memoirs, as well as creating a showplace garden.
He was predeceased by his wife, Hazel Walker Kerr. Survivors include his wife Bennett Curry Kerr; daughters Deena Kerr and Alissa Harvey; sons-in-law Gary Hutchinson and Ronald L. Harvey; Deena's partner, Michael Kuhl; grandchildren Gina Hutchinson, Ian Hutchinson, Ronald R. Harvey and Adria Harvey; five great-grandchildren; and stepchildren Jim Harter, Marty Marmaduke, Mike Harter and Barbara Whitton.
Services will be in Roswell, N.M. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Shriners Hospital for Children, a favorite charity of Ralph Felton Kerr (http://support, shrinershopsitals.org/).
Please share a memory with the family at www.heritagefuneralchapels.com.
Heritage Memory Mortuary is caring for the family.
Information provided by survivors.
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