Kathleen Kerr

Kathleen Kerr – 11/19/1934 – 5/8/2025

It is with profound sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Kathleen Kerr, 90, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, on May 8th, 2025.

Kathy was born to Sanford and Velma Tait in 1934 in Tulare, California. She spent her youth in a large family on a fruit farm. During the second world war, she would recollect how the farm was converted to making powdered milk for the war effort, which she remarked smelled and tasted terrible. While at Tulare Union High School, Kathy joined the jazz band playing the saxophone, which she would look back on fondly. Some other notable high school organizations she was a part of were the Girls’ League, Junior Statesmen, Theatre, and Tennis, going on to win a state championship. Kathy would then graduate from UC Davis with a degree in Home Economics in 1956. There she would yet again be very involved in her school. Being the president of the Home Ec Club, in the Alpha Omega Sorority, and a member of the Prytanean Honorary Society.

In 1955, during college she worked at a ski lodge diner in Sequoia National Park. It was here and through mutual friends she met Robert Kerr, on leave from the army. Kathy would reminisce about how they went ice skating together for their first date, even though neither of them were great at it. They were married a year later in 1956 after Bob got his forestry degree from Oregon State. Bob’s National Park Ranger job took Kathy all around the country including Florida, Virginia, Wyoming, and Utah. During the 1960’s, Kathy made many friends, was involved in the women’s movement and began raising two children.

After one more child in 1972, Kathy and Robert moved for the last time in 1979 settling down in Santa Fe, NM. Kathy then took up positions with the NM State Government in the Better Business Bureau and finally in Human Services. Traveling all around New Mexico, Kathy kept a close eye on the maintaining of WIC programs in various grocery and convenience stores to again support women and children’s health. Kathy would also continue her never-ending pursuit of education and obtain her master’s degree from UNM in 1988.

After Bob passed in 2015, she spent the last large majority of her life volunteering part-time at a library and relaxing. In 2025, Kathy would briefly relocate to Albuquerque for a short time until her passing.

Kathy is survived by her children, Ken Kerr and daughter-in-law Linda Kerr, Karen Hodges and son-in-law Gary Hodges, and Michael Chavez-Kerr and daughter-in-law Kristianne Chavez-Kerr; and grandchildren Cody Kerr and wife Robin Kerr; Dennis Hodges, Cameron Chavez-Kerr and wife Julie Chavez-Kerr, Caden Chavez-Kerr, and Cael Chavez-Kerr; and great grandchild Eden Chavez-Kerr. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Robert Kerr (d. 2015), grandchildren Cristian Chavez-Kerr (d. 2009), Chris Hodges (d. 2016), and Megan Kerr (d. 2018).