James Allen Kerr 1951-2026

Born June 8, 1951, Jim grew up in Clay County, W.Va. After graduating high school, he relocated to northeast Ohio. He proudly served his country in the Navy during the Vietnam War, being deployed overseas aboard the WWII-era destroyer the USS Sarsfield as a gun control technician. He served from 1971 to 1976, with two years in the Reserve.

Jim worked for 48 years at Delphi / Packard as a journeyman tool-and-die maker, working from 1969 until his retirement in 2017. He was always sharing the importance of saving for retirement and how to go about it. He was a dedicated member and leader within IUE-CWA Local 717.

Jim’s true passion was his motorcycles. He found freedom on two wheels, sometimes three with a sidecar, riding with family and friends throughout the 48 contiguous United States and Canada. He and his sidekick, Wile E. Coyote, made lifelong friends along the way. He also spent several years teaching beginner sidecar classes to pass on his expertise.

Jim is survived by his siblings, Joe Kerr and his wife, Ruth Anne, Fran Schafstall and her husband, Mike, and Frank “Dink” (Jim’s special name for his little brother) Kerr Jr. and his wife, Connie; as well as his nieces and nephews. He was loved and will be missed by family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank Lewis Kerr Sr. and Sarah Lorene Kerr Chapman; and a sister, Linda Joyce Perry.

No services will take place. His cremains will be interred in Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery, a beautiful resting place in Dunbar, W.Va.

Condolences and tributes may be sent to the family at www.gallowayonstott.com.

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