KERR, James William (Bill)
January 24, 1936 - April 5, 2017
~What is remembered lives ~
We are sad to announce the passing of James William (Bill) Kerr, beloved husband, father, father-in-law and friend.
Survived by his wife Sheila; daughters Sarah and Julie (Craig Korth); granddaughters Ella and Amy Korth; and his brother Gordon Kerr. Bill was predeceased by his parents, Florence and Jim Kerr; and his brother Jack.
Bill was born and raised in the Crowsnest Pass, and the geography of Southern Alberta was etched in his soul. He studied geology at the University of Alberta, winning the Governor General’s gold medal award when he graduated in 1956 for the highest marks in the University. Bill completed his PhD at Columbia University in New York City, and began his career as a professor at Queens (where he was younger than many of the students he was teaching).
While still a student at the U of A, Bill worked in the Canadian Arctic as an assistant to exploration parties of the Geological Survey of Canada. He joined the GSC in a full-time capacity in 1961, and continued his pioneering research, travelling by dogsled and helicopter, and living in igloos. He loved the wildness of the land and the camaraderie of the bush camps.
Professionally, Bill is most remembered for his geological mapping. His many original maps and accompanying reports made an important contribution to the knowledge of arctic geology and are still referenced today. His personal favourite publication may have been a guidebook he wrote about the Frank Slide. After a successful career, Bill left geology in the mid 1990s to pursue real estate and entrepreneurial projects with Sheila.
After his stroke, Bill’s world got much smaller, and he often said that death would be a welcome release. His dying was peaceful and graceful, and he was surrounded by family before, during and after his last breath. He would have loved the hand-painted casket and DIY funeral we gave him; and while we grieve his leaving, we’re glad he’s finally free.
Bill was a warm, funny, loving and much-loved man. Some of his favourite activities were eating bagels, making wasp traps, picking saskatoons, and holding an audience spell bound with his quirky, funny and wide-ranging stories. He had an insatiable curiosity–he loved meeting new people and learning new things. Above all, his grandchildren were the light of his life.
In 2010, Bill had a massive stroke which crippled his body, but thankfully left his mind mostly intact. Following Julie and her family, Bill and Sheila moved to Nelson in 2011, and Bill moved into Mountain Lake Seniors Community.
A Funeral for Bill will be held in the Officers’ Mess at Fort Calgary on April 18, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. with a Reception to follow. Condolences may be sent by email to sarah@soulpassages.ca.
Donations in Bill's name may be made to Nelson & District Hospice Society at Box 194, Nelson, BC V1L5P9 or online at www.nelsonhospice.org.