Frank Parr Kerr Jr. of Clarkston, Michigan, passed away peacefully at home on February 10, 2025, at the age of 96, surrounded by his family.
Frank grew up in Detroit, very proud of his Scottish heritage. He spent summers with his grandparents at their home in Forester Michigan on Lake Huron, which seeded his love of the Great Lakes. He loved nature, spent many hours hiking and he was also an avid reader across broad subjects. He loved live Jazz like Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespie. He loved winter, shoveling, skating, sledding and a friendly snowball fight with the neighbors.
Frank dedicated over 40 years of his career to GM Fisher Body, concluding at the Fiero plant in Pontiac. Before his career at General Motors, he spent a year working on a Great Lakes freighter and with the coast guard. Frank was always active and engaged in the community. He was one of the founding members of the Clarkston Flyers youth hockey team where he acted as assistant coach, trainer, and he earned the Green Angel award several times for chauffeuring his daughters Girls Scout troops. He loved flying in small aircraft with friends who were pilots and traveling to air shows. Frank had a passion for driving. After retirement, he spent many summers at the Waterford racetrack where he participated in the annual fun run and worked in the pit crew with his grandson Asad for Mazura Motors. He also joined the Rusty Blades at Lakeland Arena in Waterford where he skated three days a week. He eventually traded in his hockey skates for figure skates and became very involved with the figure skating program. The people at Lakeland Arena were like a second family to him and provided him with much joy.
Frank is survived by his six children Cheryl Kern, Sandra Bell-Hodge, Beth Kerr, Dawn (Edward Kielb) Bickerstaff, Carla Bell, and Pamela (Chris) Kerr-Gidcumb; twelve grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife Billy Lou Kerr, sons-in-law David Hodge, David Bickerstaff and grandson Chris Hodge.
Visitation will be held at Lynch & Sons 5391 Highland Road Waterford, MI on March 20 at 6 p.m. with a memorial service following at 7 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Lakeland Skating Club 7330 Highland Rd. Waterford, MI 48327.