James Wallace Kerr Sr.

James Wallace Kerr, Sr. died peacefully at home July 25, 2010. He was born November 9, 1914 in St. Paul, Arkansas and reared in Kansas City, Missouri. There he met Virginia Viola Porter, the love of his life, at Eastern High School. They were married December 4, 1936 and celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary prior to the death of Mrs. Kerr in 2003. Mr. Kerr was a retail merchant primarily with Montgomery Ward and then with J.C. Penny Co. This career offered the opportunity of residing in Louisiana, Missouri, Minnesota, Oklahoma, New York City, and several cities in Texas. In 1970 he took early retirement and established Hughes L. & S. Interiors in Dallas, his favorite city. The Kerrs traveled extensively which usually included every state and many foreign countries. Trips to Europe always included a stay in London. Mr. Kerr was a member of Brookhaven Country Club, Sons of the American Revolution, and the English-Speaking Union. He was a supporter of the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Symphony, Dallas Museum of Art, the Kimbell Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Mr. Kerr is survived by son Judge James W. Kerr, Jr. of Dallas, daughter Pamela and son-in-law Garry Sparks of Richardson, and grandsons Garry Sparks, Jr. of Chicago and Geoffrey Sparks of Washington, D.C. The family thanks Doris Betts for her 23 years of service and expresses gratitude to the associates of Community Hospice of Texas for their loving care. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, the U.T. Southwestern Medical Center, the Community Hospice of Texas, or a charity of your choice. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 28th at Sparkman Hillcrest. A service celebrating the life of Mr. Kerr will be held Thursday, July 29th at 1:00 p.m., at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church.