John Patrick (Pat) Kerr

Long time Paducah Architect John Patrick Kerr (Pat) passed away at his home on Friday, August 12, 2022 after a hard fought battle with cancer.  He was born on June 10, 1941, in Indianapolis, Indiana, the son of the late John Phillip and Olive Grey Innis Kerr.
 
Growing up in Paducah Pat graduated from Saint Mary’s academy in 1959. He shared many a story of him always getting in trouble with the nuns. Evidently he was not the model student. Throughout his life he maintained friendships with many of his classmates.  He received his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Cincinnati in 1965.  He served in the U.S Army Reserves in the finance department from 1967 to 1973.
 
Upon graduation his first employment as an architect was with Lee Potter Smith Architects. Over the next 22 years he would go on the be a partner in Gresham & Kerr Associates, Gresham, Kerr and Keeling Architects, and Coltharp/Kerr Partnership.  In 1987 he established J. Patrick Kerr Architects, Inc. and was in practice until 2022, a career spanning 57 years.
 
Pat was a long-time member of American Institute of Architects, Ky Society of Architects where he was a past treasurer, West Kentucky Chapter of American Institute of Architects where he was a past president and treasurer, and National Council of Architectural Registration.  Along with his Kentucky registration he also was registered in Illinois, Tennessee, Missouri, and Indiana with reciprocity in all other states except California and Florida.
 
He knew back in grade school he wanted to be an architect and would tell you how tough it was to get through college and achieve that goal.  Over the years Kerr received numerous awards for building design and renovations. Whether past renovation projects like Whitehaven Welcome Center and Paducah Power System or Paducah Armed Forces Reserve Center and more recently Patti’s 1880s Restaurant, Kerr left his mark on Western Kentucky.
 
Not only was Mr. Kerr an accomplished architect he was a businessman very involved in his community;  Paducah Rotary Club (past director, Rotary wheel award), Paducah Planning & Zoning Commission (past chairman), Paducah Power System (past board member), Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce (past director & officer, past president), Purchase Area Development District (past board member on industrial development), Greater Paducah Industrial Development Association (past director and past president), and Industrial Development Council, Paducah (past director).  He was also commissioned a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Julian Carroll in 1976.
 
Architecture may have been his first love, but Pat was quite the entrepreneur.  As a developer, in the early 80’s he designed and developed Meadow Links condominiums. It is now a favored place to live.  He was also an inventor.  After a bad experience with wisdom teeth extraction, he invented IBS (Ice Bag Support), a class #1 medical device for molar extractions.  The IBS was sold and distributed nationwide from 1996 to 2012.  Over the years he continued to design products like a lightweight slick coated furniture and shelving system, lawn trimmer for mower mounting, and neck ties.  He was always designing and trying to make something better even explaining to one of his Hospice nurses how to improve on a piece of his medical equipment.  Even after his health was failing, he still asked for pen and paper to sketch out a thought.
 
When Pat wasn’t running the business, inventing, or designing he was on the golf course. He would always tell the story of how in eighth grade he learned to play the guitar and play golf and played them both just like he did in eighth grade.  He loved golf and went on many trips with his buddies. Even on golf trips he was never without his bag of pens and pencils along with his sketch pad.
 
Pat is survived by his wife Anita Cobb Kerr, his brother Dennis (Donnie), stepson Travis Corder (Amy), step-grandchildren Owen Corder and Olivia Corder, son J. Patrick Kerr, Jr. and daughter Kelly Chapman (Jay), grandchildren Emma Kerr, Madeline Kerr and Ellie Chapman.
 
He was also preceded by one sister Lana Kerr Pugh.
 
Visitation will be held at Milner & Orr Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Paducah from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Wednesday, August 17, 2022
 
A private memorial service will be at a later date.
 
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to Lourdes Hospice, P.O. Box 7100, Paducah, KY 42002. 
 
You may leave a “Hug From Home”, a message of sympathy and light a candle at www.milnerandorr.com.