Kerr, Thomas James

Thomas James Kerr

May 4, 1947 – December 10, 2007

Tommy Kerr, a Vietnam veteran and railroad worker, could be a bit gruff, but that’s not what his former Boy Scout troop members remember most about the Greenwood resident. “He loved that Scout troop, “said Eric Denney said of Mr. Kerr,59, who died Wednesday from heart-related problems. The makeup of Mr. Kerr’s Troop 270 looked a bit like lineup of characters from a sitcom, Denney said. About half the kids were from a church, and some came from economically disadvantaged homes. Under Mr. Kerr’s leadership they became a close-bit group. Mr. Kerr provided the spark that led Deaney and others to become Eagle Scouts. Mr. Kerr had Tommy Kerr, a Vietnam veteran and railroad workers, could be a bit gruff, but that’s not what his former Boy Scout troop members remember most about the Greenwood resident he loved that Scout troop, Eric Denney said of Mr. Kerr,59, who died Wednesday from heart-related problems. The makeup of Mr. Kerr’s Troop 270 looked a bit like a lineup of characters from a sitcom Denney said about half the kids were from a church, and some came from economically disadvantaged homes. Under Mr. Kerr’s leadership, they became a close nit group. Mr. Kerr provided the spark that led Deaney and others to become Eagle Scouts. Mr. Kerr had a couple of rules about fighting. If his Scouts got into a fight, Mr. Kerr made it clear he would take on the winner. If they fought with a Scout from another troop, Mr. Kerr never condoned it but wanted to bow whether they had won. Other Scouts probably heard campfire stories on camping trips Denney said. We heard stories about Khe Sanh he said, speaking of Mr. Kerr’s experiences as a Marine.

Mr. Kerr grew up in a small town in upstate New York and met his wife, Linda, at a wedding in Ft Wayne, right after he returned from Vietnam. She was attracted by his “pretty” eyes and fell in love with him. He was stationed in North Carolina and vowed to come back for her when she turned 18. He did. The couple moved to Greenwood in 1980 after he landed a job with Amtrak, where he was a general foreman. They joined Christ Our Shepherd Church of the Brethren, where he also was an associate pastor; and he agreed to start a Boy Scout troop. More recently he was a member of Greenwood Christian Life Church. Some of the kids Mr. Kerr invited came from families who didn’t have much, so he helped buy their uniforms. If a Scout had a problem, Mr. Kerr helped, even if it meant taking a boy to the library to make sure, he was doing his homework, his wife said. In his own way Mr. Kerr was paying back the type of help he received from adults who took a special interest in him when he was a boy, his wife said. “I think that kind of rubbed off,” The Kerr’s had bought a 5-acre ranch near Spencer, where Mr. Kerr planned to work with horses after he retired in May. He already was planning to hold a hog toast there to celebrate. Tom is survived by his wife Linda Kerr; daughters, Alisha Ann Hess and husband Broc, Nicole Jeanne Kerr Taylor and fiancé Jason McDonald; twin brother, Douglas L. Kerr, Jr.; brother, Roger S. Kerr; sister, Nancy J. Hammond and granddaughter Heather Taylor.

Mr. Kerr’s Scouts, who once called him “Sarge,” served as pallbearers.