Posted: Saturday, October 11, 2014 4:00 pm
EASTON — Whether she was scooping ice cream at a lunch counter in Oklahoma, orchestrating a succession of flowering shrubs in a Maine woods, or presiding over a philanthropic foundation headquartered in Maryland, Sheryl V. Kerr displayed such a strong sense of self confidence and bearing that those around her believed she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. And she never proved them wrong.
Shery, as her many friends called her, died Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014, in Wellesley, MA, following a lengthy illness. She was 61. She is survived by Breene M. Kerr, her husband of 33 years, of Wellesley; daughter Marcy Kerr Yuknat and son-in-law David Yuknat; and grandchildren Anna and Jack, of Dover, MA.
At the time of her death, she chaired the Grayce B. Kerr Fund, an independent philanthropy based in Easton, MD, where the Kerrs had been prominent members of the Talbot County community for two decades. In Maryland, Shery served on the boards of The Country School, the Academy Art Museum (formerly known as the Academy of the Arts), Easton Day Care Center, and, from 1997 to 2003, the Washington College Board of Visitors and Governors. Before moving to Wellesley to be closer to family, the Kerrs resided in Blue Hill, ME, and periodically in New York City.
Shery was a remarkable woman. Poised, thoughtful, boldly frank and deeply committed to "doing good," she nonetheless shared Breene's self-effacing desire to remain out of the limelight. Grateful recipients of Kerr Fund grants frequently wanted to name programs or physical structures after the two. Most often Shery and Breene politely turned down the offers.
On one occasion, however, Shery agreed to accept a special recognition. Washington College, where she had served as vice chair of the trustees and chair of the Development Committee during a highly successful $103.4 million fundraising campaign, awarded her an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree in 2004. Shery, who had never finished college, was slightly amused when a friend would introduce her at social events as "Dr. Kerr."
Shery was born in Tulsa, OK, and reared in an environment she later said that did little to encourage her desire for a better life through education, art, music, travel and gardening. Strong-willed and keenly intelligent, Shery was determined to strike out on her own. She briefly attended Oklahoma State University before leaving her studies to raise a child and to help support her first husband, who was in school.
For a while she worked at a Braum's where she scooped ice cream and flipped hamburgers. "I had two polyester outfits, so I wore one and then washed it in the bathtub at night and hung it up to dry and wore my clean one the next day," Shery recalled. She was promoted to shop manager but found more challenging employment at a savings and loan institution. In Oklahoma City, she refused to cash a suspicious check and briefly became a company star by helping police nab a forger who had been spreading bad paper all over town.
In 1977, while working for Frontier Financial in downtown Oklahoma City, Shery was hired as an assistant to Breene M. Kerr, the son of the late Oklahoma Governor Robert S. Kerr. The younger Kerr had left Kerr-McGee, the company his father had co-founded, in 1969, after serving as a vice president for two years, to start his own ventures in Oklahoma. Breene's office suite became Shery's de facto college classroom where, through her varied tasks and her boss's wide world of experiences, she became inculcated with a love of learning — about business, culture, politics, and even new words and phrases.
On a summery weekday nearly four years later, Breene and Shery exchanged wedding vows beneath a gazebo overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Newport Beach, California. The next Monday they were back at their office desks. It was the second marriage for both and the beginning of a lifelong partnership that, among other pursuits, established the Grayce B. Kerr Fund (named for Breene's mother) as one of the most significant private family foundations in several states.
The marriage between Breene — older and a member of then the most famous family in Oklahoma — and Shery — a comely young woman with a rather plain background — may have raised a few eyebrows, but it gave the couple a chance to grow in ways that would have been impossible had they remained apart. Shery became his emotional fulcrum and he her intellectual anchor. With Marcy in hand, the Kerrs left Oklahoma, never to return on a permanent basis.
From Greenwich, CT, to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, New York City, Blue Hill, ME, and finally to Wellesley, MA, the Kerrs quietly set up residence. Adhering to their favorite principle "Go where invited and stay where well treated," the couple always made their communities better places.
"I have lived a magical life," Shery once remarked. "I think I have made tough decisions when I had to. I think I've been brave and courageous."
Despite the recent loss, the Grayce B. Kerr Fund will maintain the active role in philanthropy it began 28 years ago. "One of Shery's goals was to build capacity, to help other organizations become more sustainable," said John R. Valliant, Fund president. "Shery and Breene embodied that philosophy and we intend to continue this at the Grayce B. Kerr Fund."
No formal memorial service is planned, but a gathering to honor Shery Kerr will be scheduled at a later date. "My mother always felt that giving is a very personal decision," said daughter Marcy. "She would be thrilled if her friends helped charities and organizations that play an important role in their lives."
Friends are requested to carry on the spirit of Shery's altruism by contributing to charities or organizations that are meaningful to them and their communities.
EASTON — Whether she was scooping ice cream at a lunch counter in Oklahoma, orchestrating a succession of flowering shrubs in a Maine woods, or presiding over a philanthropic foundation headquartered in Maryland, Sheryl V. Kerr displayed such a strong sense of self confidence and bearing that those around her believed she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. And she never proved them wrong.
Shery, as her many friends called her, died Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014, in Wellesley, MA, following a lengthy illness. She was 61. She is survived by Breene M. Kerr, her husband of 33 years, of Wellesley; daughter Marcy Kerr Yuknat and son-in-law David Yuknat; and grandchildren Anna and Jack, of Dover, MA.
At the time of her death, she chaired the Grayce B. Kerr Fund, an independent philanthropy based in Easton, MD, where the Kerrs had been prominent members of the Talbot County community for two decades. In Maryland, Shery served on the boards of The Country School, the Academy Art Museum (formerly known as the Academy of the Arts), Easton Day Care Center, and, from 1997 to 2003, the Washington College Board of Visitors and Governors. Before moving to Wellesley to be closer to family, the Kerrs resided in Blue Hill, ME, and periodically in New York City.
Shery was a remarkable woman. Poised, thoughtful, boldly frank and deeply committed to "doing good," she nonetheless shared Breene's self-effacing desire to remain out of the limelight. Grateful recipients of Kerr Fund grants frequently wanted to name programs or physical structures after the two. Most often Shery and Breene politely turned down the offers.
On one occasion, however, Shery agreed to accept a special recognition. Washington College, where she had served as vice chair of the trustees and chair of the Development Committee during a highly successful $103.4 million fundraising campaign, awarded her an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree in 2004. Shery, who had never finished college, was slightly amused when a friend would introduce her at social events as "Dr. Kerr."
Shery was born in Tulsa, OK, and reared in an environment she later said that did little to encourage her desire for a better life through education, art, music, travel and gardening. Strong-willed and keenly intelligent, Shery was determined to strike out on her own. She briefly attended Oklahoma State University before leaving her studies to raise a child and to help support her first husband, who was in school.
For a while she worked at a Braum's where she scooped ice cream and flipped hamburgers. "I had two polyester outfits, so I wore one and then washed it in the bathtub at night and hung it up to dry and wore my clean one the next day," Shery recalled. She was promoted to shop manager but found more challenging employment at a savings and loan institution. In Oklahoma City, she refused to cash a suspicious check and briefly became a company star by helping police nab a forger who had been spreading bad paper all over town.
In 1977, while working for Frontier Financial in downtown Oklahoma City, Shery was hired as an assistant to Breene M. Kerr, the son of the late Oklahoma Governor Robert S. Kerr. The younger Kerr had left Kerr-McGee, the company his father had co-founded, in 1969, after serving as a vice president for two years, to start his own ventures in Oklahoma. Breene's office suite became Shery's de facto college classroom where, through her varied tasks and her boss's wide world of experiences, she became inculcated with a love of learning — about business, culture, politics, and even new words and phrases.
On a summery weekday nearly four years later, Breene and Shery exchanged wedding vows beneath a gazebo overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Newport Beach, California. The next Monday they were back at their office desks. It was the second marriage for both and the beginning of a lifelong partnership that, among other pursuits, established the Grayce B. Kerr Fund (named for Breene's mother) as one of the most significant private family foundations in several states.
The marriage between Breene — older and a member of then the most famous family in Oklahoma — and Shery — a comely young woman with a rather plain background — may have raised a few eyebrows, but it gave the couple a chance to grow in ways that would have been impossible had they remained apart. Shery became his emotional fulcrum and he her intellectual anchor. With Marcy in hand, the Kerrs left Oklahoma, never to return on a permanent basis.
From Greenwich, CT, to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, New York City, Blue Hill, ME, and finally to Wellesley, MA, the Kerrs quietly set up residence. Adhering to their favorite principle "Go where invited and stay where well treated," the couple always made their communities better places.
"I have lived a magical life," Shery once remarked. "I think I have made tough decisions when I had to. I think I've been brave and courageous."
Despite the recent loss, the Grayce B. Kerr Fund will maintain the active role in philanthropy it began 28 years ago. "One of Shery's goals was to build capacity, to help other organizations become more sustainable," said John R. Valliant, Fund president. "Shery and Breene embodied that philosophy and we intend to continue this at the Grayce B. Kerr Fund."
No formal memorial service is planned, but a gathering to honor Shery Kerr will be scheduled at a later date. "My mother always felt that giving is a very personal decision," said daughter Marcy. "She would be thrilled if her friends helped charities and organizations that play an important role in their lives."
Friends are requested to carry on the spirit of Shery's altruism by contributing to charities or organizations that are meaningful to them and their communities.
Posted: Saturday, October 11, 2014 4:00 pm
EASTON — Whether she was scooping ice cream at a lunch counter in Oklahoma, orchestrating a succession of flowering shrubs in a Maine woods, or presiding over a philanthropic foundation headquartered in Maryland, Sheryl V. Kerr displayed such a strong sense of self confidence and bearing that those around her believed she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. And she never proved them wrong.
Shery, as her many friends called her, died Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014, in Wellesley, MA, following a lengthy illness. She was 61. She is survived by Breene M. Kerr, her husband of 33 years, of Wellesley; daughter Marcy Kerr Yuknat and son-in-law David Yuknat; and grandchildren Anna and Jack, of Dover, MA.
At the time of her death, she chaired the Grayce B. Kerr Fund, an independent philanthropy based in Easton, MD, where the Kerrs had been prominent members of the Talbot County community for two decades. In Maryland, Shery served on the boards of The Country School, the Academy Art Museum (formerly known as the Academy of the Arts), Easton Day Care Center, and, from 1997 to 2003, the Washington College Board of Visitors and Governors. Before moving to Wellesley to be closer to family, the Kerrs resided in Blue Hill, ME, and periodically in New York City.
Shery was a remarkable woman. Poised, thoughtful, boldly frank and deeply committed to "doing good," she nonetheless shared Breene's self-effacing desire to remain out of the limelight. Grateful recipients of Kerr Fund grants frequently wanted to name programs or physical structures after the two. Most often Shery and Breene politely turned down the offers.
On one occasion, however, Shery agreed to accept a special recognition. Washington College, where she had served as vice chair of the trustees and chair of the Development Committee during a highly successful $103.4 million fundraising campaign, awarded her an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree in 2004. Shery, who had never finished college, was slightly amused when a friend would introduce her at social events as "Dr. Kerr."
Shery was born in Tulsa, OK, and reared in an environment she later said that did little to encourage her desire for a better life through education, art, music, travel and gardening. Strong-willed and keenly intelligent, Shery was determined to strike out on her own. She briefly attended Oklahoma State University before leaving her studies to raise a child and to help support her first husband, who was in school.
For a while she worked at a Braum's where she scooped ice cream and flipped hamburgers. "I had two polyester outfits, so I wore one and then washed it in the bathtub at night and hung it up to dry and wore my clean one the next day," Shery recalled. She was promoted to shop manager but found more challenging employment at a savings and loan institution. In Oklahoma City, she refused to cash a suspicious check and briefly became a company star by helping police nab a forger who had been spreading bad paper all over town.
In 1977, while working for Frontier Financial in downtown Oklahoma City, Shery was hired as an assistant to Breene M. Kerr, the son of the late Oklahoma Governor Robert S. Kerr. The younger Kerr had left Kerr-McGee, the company his father had co-founded, in 1969, after serving as a vice president for two years, to start his own ventures in Oklahoma. Breene's office suite became Shery's de facto college classroom where, through her varied tasks and her boss's wide world of experiences, she became inculcated with a love of learning — about business, culture, politics, and even new words and phrases.
On a summery weekday nearly four years later, Breene and Shery exchanged wedding vows beneath a gazebo overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Newport Beach, California. The next Monday they were back at their office desks. It was the second marriage for both and the beginning of a lifelong partnership that, among other pursuits, established the Grayce B. Kerr Fund (named for Breene's mother) as one of the most significant private family foundations in several states.
The marriage between Breene — older and a member of then the most famous family in Oklahoma — and Shery — a comely young woman with a rather plain background — may have raised a few eyebrows, but it gave the couple a chance to grow in ways that would have been impossible had they remained apart. Shery became his emotional fulcrum and he her intellectual anchor. With Marcy in hand, the Kerrs left Oklahoma, never to return on a permanent basis.
From Greenwich, CT, to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, New York City, Blue Hill, ME, and finally to Wellesley, MA, the Kerrs quietly set up residence. Adhering to their favorite principle "Go where invited and stay where well treated," the couple always made their communities better places.
"I have lived a magical life," Shery once remarked. "I think I have made tough decisions when I had to. I think I've been brave and courageous."
Despite the recent loss, the Grayce B. Kerr Fund will maintain the active role in philanthropy it began 28 years ago. "One of Shery's goals was to build capacity, to help other organizations become more sustainable," said John R. Valliant, Fund president. "Shery and Breene embodied that philosophy and we intend to continue this at the Grayce B. Kerr Fund."
No formal memorial service is planned, but a gathering to honor Shery Kerr will be scheduled at a later date. "My mother always felt that giving is a very personal decision," said daughter Marcy. "She would be thrilled if her friends helped charities and organizations that play an important role in their lives."
Friends are requested to carry on the spirit of Shery's altruism by contributing to charities or organizations that are meaningful to them and their communities.
EASTON — Whether she was scooping ice cream at a lunch counter in Oklahoma, orchestrating a succession of flowering shrubs in a Maine woods, or presiding over a philanthropic foundation headquartered in Maryland, Sheryl V. Kerr displayed such a strong sense of self confidence and bearing that those around her believed she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. And she never proved them wrong.
Shery, as her many friends called her, died Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014, in Wellesley, MA, following a lengthy illness. She was 61. She is survived by Breene M. Kerr, her husband of 33 years, of Wellesley; daughter Marcy Kerr Yuknat and son-in-law David Yuknat; and grandchildren Anna and Jack, of Dover, MA.
At the time of her death, she chaired the Grayce B. Kerr Fund, an independent philanthropy based in Easton, MD, where the Kerrs had been prominent members of the Talbot County community for two decades. In Maryland, Shery served on the boards of The Country School, the Academy Art Museum (formerly known as the Academy of the Arts), Easton Day Care Center, and, from 1997 to 2003, the Washington College Board of Visitors and Governors. Before moving to Wellesley to be closer to family, the Kerrs resided in Blue Hill, ME, and periodically in New York City.
Shery was a remarkable woman. Poised, thoughtful, boldly frank and deeply committed to "doing good," she nonetheless shared Breene's self-effacing desire to remain out of the limelight. Grateful recipients of Kerr Fund grants frequently wanted to name programs or physical structures after the two. Most often Shery and Breene politely turned down the offers.
On one occasion, however, Shery agreed to accept a special recognition. Washington College, where she had served as vice chair of the trustees and chair of the Development Committee during a highly successful $103.4 million fundraising campaign, awarded her an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree in 2004. Shery, who had never finished college, was slightly amused when a friend would introduce her at social events as "Dr. Kerr."
Shery was born in Tulsa, OK, and reared in an environment she later said that did little to encourage her desire for a better life through education, art, music, travel and gardening. Strong-willed and keenly intelligent, Shery was determined to strike out on her own. She briefly attended Oklahoma State University before leaving her studies to raise a child and to help support her first husband, who was in school.
For a while she worked at a Braum's where she scooped ice cream and flipped hamburgers. "I had two polyester outfits, so I wore one and then washed it in the bathtub at night and hung it up to dry and wore my clean one the next day," Shery recalled. She was promoted to shop manager but found more challenging employment at a savings and loan institution. In Oklahoma City, she refused to cash a suspicious check and briefly became a company star by helping police nab a forger who had been spreading bad paper all over town.
In 1977, while working for Frontier Financial in downtown Oklahoma City, Shery was hired as an assistant to Breene M. Kerr, the son of the late Oklahoma Governor Robert S. Kerr. The younger Kerr had left Kerr-McGee, the company his father had co-founded, in 1969, after serving as a vice president for two years, to start his own ventures in Oklahoma. Breene's office suite became Shery's de facto college classroom where, through her varied tasks and her boss's wide world of experiences, she became inculcated with a love of learning — about business, culture, politics, and even new words and phrases.
On a summery weekday nearly four years later, Breene and Shery exchanged wedding vows beneath a gazebo overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Newport Beach, California. The next Monday they were back at their office desks. It was the second marriage for both and the beginning of a lifelong partnership that, among other pursuits, established the Grayce B. Kerr Fund (named for Breene's mother) as one of the most significant private family foundations in several states.
The marriage between Breene — older and a member of then the most famous family in Oklahoma — and Shery — a comely young woman with a rather plain background — may have raised a few eyebrows, but it gave the couple a chance to grow in ways that would have been impossible had they remained apart. Shery became his emotional fulcrum and he her intellectual anchor. With Marcy in hand, the Kerrs left Oklahoma, never to return on a permanent basis.
From Greenwich, CT, to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, New York City, Blue Hill, ME, and finally to Wellesley, MA, the Kerrs quietly set up residence. Adhering to their favorite principle "Go where invited and stay where well treated," the couple always made their communities better places.
"I have lived a magical life," Shery once remarked. "I think I have made tough decisions when I had to. I think I've been brave and courageous."
Despite the recent loss, the Grayce B. Kerr Fund will maintain the active role in philanthropy it began 28 years ago. "One of Shery's goals was to build capacity, to help other organizations become more sustainable," said John R. Valliant, Fund president. "Shery and Breene embodied that philosophy and we intend to continue this at the Grayce B. Kerr Fund."
No formal memorial service is planned, but a gathering to honor Shery Kerr will be scheduled at a later date. "My mother always felt that giving is a very personal decision," said daughter Marcy. "She would be thrilled if her friends helped charities and organizations that play an important role in their lives."
Friends are requested to carry on the spirit of Shery's altruism by contributing to charities or organizations that are meaningful to them and their communities.
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