Loretta Anne Kerns

Loretta Anne Kerns passed away May 31, 2021, twelve days after celebrating her 94th birthday. Loretta was born in San Francisco May 19, 1927 to Ida and Ramon Sweeney. She was the oldest of their three children. Her brother Raymond and her sister Eda preceded her in death.

A lifelong resident of San Francisco, she was raised in the Parkside district. She walked to school on their first day at Parkside School with Minette Pope (Joe Flynn), who remained Loretta’s best friend to her final day. She went on to graduate from Lincoln High School where she made many friends with whom she remained close her entire life. It was at Lincoln that she met and fell in love with Bill Kerns. Bill left school to join the Merchant Marine and spent the war years in the South Pacific, while Loretta completed school and worked in downtown San Francisco.

Loretta and Bill were both 20 years old when they were married in 1947 at St. Phillip’s Church. They had been married for 57 years when Bill passed away in 2005 at the age of 77. They lived and raised their family in St. Cecilia’s Parish where Loretta was a parishioner for 71 years.

Loretta is survived by her six children; Tess (Dan) Matthews, Jane (Rocky) Wair, Bill Kerns, Joan (Dave) Honan, Lorraine (Ray) Esclamado, and Rick Kerns. Loretta cared for and loved her 13 grandchildren; Debbie,

Jennifer, Abby, Julie, Barney, John, Efrem, Laura, Elizabeth, Alex, Sofia, Kenia and Pedro, and was loved in return. She loved and was very proud of her 22 greatgrandchildren.

Loretta was a loving wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother and greatgrandmother, and all her family will miss her and hold her memory in their hearts forever.

The Kerns family expresses their sincere gratitude to the kind, caring staff at Laurel Heights Community Care and to Bridge Hospice. A special debt of gratitude is owed to Joan Broderick for her love, kindness and friendship, and to Father Isaiah from St. Dominic’s.

There will be a Funeral Mass celebrated on Friday, June 25th at 10:30am at St. Cecilia Church, 2555 17th Ave. in San Francisco. She will be laid to rest with her husband Bill in a private inurnment at Holy Cross at a later date.