Julian Wendell Kerr Jr.

Wendell was born on Dec. 24, 1923, in Colorado Springs, CO, and spent his youth growing up in Missouri and Oklahoma.

He is preceded in death by his parents Julian Wendell Kerr and Gladys Hague Kerr and a son, Richard L. Kerr.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Shirley Holt Kerr; two sons, Stephen R. Kerr (Gayle), Julian Wendell Kerr, III (Heidi Rose); daughter, Patricia Kerr; grandsons, Bradford T. (Veronique), S. Randy and Martin Kerr; great- granddaughters, Abbie, Anna and Natalie Kerr, and great grandson, Julian Kerr.

Wendell was a WWII veteran, joining the Navy at age 18 directly out of high school. He trained as a Naval fighter pilot operating in the Pacific on the islands of Tinian and Iwo Jima. He successfully flew over 50 missions and would remind us that he was "flying airplanes before he ever learned to drive a car." After the war, Wendell graduated from Purdue University with an engineering degree and then moved to Oklahoma to attend Oklahoma State University, where he taught and received his masters degree.

He and his wife have been residents of Dauphin Island, AL, for 37 years, coming to the island in 1974. They successfully founded three businesses there: Boardwalk Realty, Boardwalk Rentals and The Sand Box. Wendell loved greeting arriving Dauphin Island vacationers to The Sand Box and traveling to national and international trade markets looking for new gems for the store. Before retiring to Dauphin Island, he worked for Phillips Petroleum in Bartlesville, OK, as a recruiting officer and technical engineer for a new national product: plastic. Wendell then went to Continental Can Company as director of engineering for plastics. At age 46, he moved to Tuscaloosa, AL, working for Gulf States Paper Co. as vice president of the plastic division. After his time in Tuscaloosa, he and Shirley retired to Dauphin Island to begin the next chapter of their lives.

Wendell and Shirley developed a passion for traveling. Together they visited 90 countries and every state in the union. We will all miss our PoPo.

Services will be held on Saturday, February 26, 2011, at noon at the Mobile Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 11:00am to 12:00pm with graveside service at 12:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the DIF Firemans Fund, P.O. Box 946, Dauphin Island, Al 36528.

Arrangements under the direction of Mobile Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, Mobile, AL.