October 31 1932 September 22 2019
William’s Obituary William Forrest Kerr, Sr. (“Forrie”) – Passed away at age 86 on September 22, 2019 after a three month battle with various age related ailments. He was born in Philadelphia on October 31, 1932, the second and youngest child of Oliver W. and Helen (Magee) Kerr. At age 8, his family moved to a 50 acre farm on Derstine Road in Hatfield Township. After milking the family’s dairy cows every morning, he attended Hatfield schools, and graduated from Hatfield Joint High School in 1951. In high school he met the love of his life, Helen J. Glueck. The high school sweethearts were married in 1955, moved to Hatfield Borough, and ultimately had six children. In July of 1965 he and Helen moved the family to a small farm on Trewigtown Road in Colmar, Hatfield Township, where they lived for over 54 years until his passing. He remained faithfully married to Helen for 64 years, and at the time of his passing they had known each other for over 70 years. After high school, Forrie attended Penn State University for two years as an engineering student. He then took a job with Philco Ford in Lansdale, and worked there for 18 years until its closing in 1971. During his years with Philco, he attended Drexel University as an evening student, while having the first five of his children and juggling many roles including baseball coach to his boys and after 11 years finally earned his electrical engineering degree from Drexel in 1966. After Philco closed, he worked as a quality control engineer for Gould Brown Boveri in Chalfont, and finally for SPD Technologies in Chalfont and Northeast Philadelphia. He retired from his engineering career in 1997. He had a life-long interest in real estate nurtured by his maternal grandfather, William Forrest Magee, of Newtown, Bucks County. That interest led him to begin a part time career as a real estate broker and agent in 1971. That career included many years at Sauers Real Estate in North Wales, and later at Gerald Snyder Real Estate of Lansdale. He finally retired from his real estate career at age 80. His childhood on the Derstine Road farm led to another passion, and he turned himself into a gentleman farmer on the family farm in Colmar. For many years he stabled a horse and a pony. He also raised food crops which he often sold at a roadside stand, most notably sweet corn, tomatoes, string beans, and red beets. He and his son Bill also worked together for many years growing Christmas Trees. He participated for many years as an interested citizen, attending various Hatfield Township Supervisor, Planning Commission, and Zoning Board meetings. He was also very focused in Hatfield history, and over the years participated in many Hatfield Historical Society events. In the spring of 2019, he donated an antique piece of farm equipment that had been manufactured in Lansdale by Heebner and Sons, to the new Lansdale Farm Museum. He was pre-deceased by his parents, and by his only brother Oliver of Caracas, Venezuela. He was also pre-deceased by in-laws Marianne and Nick Thee of Lansdale, George and Gail Glueck of Bethlehem, and Ursula Glueck of Arizona. In addition to his Wife, Forrest is survived by six children, Kathleen (Glenn) Rodgers of Lower Gwynedd; William Forrest (Lisa) Jr. of Harleysville; James B. (Rachael) of Harleysville; Daniel K. (Dottie) of Hatfield Township; Timothy M. (Jennifer) of Potomac, MD; and Helen E. (Christopher) Chappell, of Towamencin . He is also survived by 17 grandchildren, Brian, Brendan, Tara, Kathryn, Isabelle, Christopher, Evan, Liam, Gavin, Greg, Forrest III, Zachary, Ryann, Justin, Maggie, Caroline, and Emma. Additionally he is survived by his Brother’s children Elba and Karen of Florida and Peter Kerr of Caracas, Venezuela; by his in-laws Larry and Kathleen Glueck of Delaware and James Glueck of Arizona; and by many cousins, nieces and nephews. Visitation will be at Huff and Lakjer Funeral Home, 701 Derstine Ave., Lansdale, Thursday, September 26, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. There will be a Funeral Mass on Friday September 27, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, 51 Lansdale Ave., Lansdale, (for those attending please arrive no later than 9:45 a.m.), where his Wife and children have been parishioners and attended grade school since 1965. Forrest’s burial will follow at St. John Newman Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Stanislaus Parish, Main and 7th Street, Lansdale Pa.; Jefferson Health Hospice (give.abingtonhealth.org/hospice); or to the Hatfield Township Parks and Recreation, School Road, Hatfield Pa. Read More
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of William Forrest Kerr October 31 1932 September 22 2019.
Huff & Lakjer Funeral Home Inc
Death notice for the town of: Lansdale, state: Pennsylvania