Celebrant Pam Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

As we remember Joan, we think of the many smiles throughout her life. Her very first smile was given to her parents, who were related to the Scottish Kerr's, known for the famous Kerr plaid material.

Joan Margaret Kerr was born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania to her parents, Isabel and Mez, on June 4th, 1933. She was raised with her sisters Patricia, Martha, and Mimi. Her father worked as a coalminer, while her mother was a homemaker. Joan grew up on a crop farm, which helped to feed the family of six plus whoever else was there.

She graduated from Plum Senior High School and went on to earn her teaching degree at Slippery Rock University. After graduating from college, she voluntarily joined the United States Air Force. She served our country with pride for two years.

While Joan was in the Air Force, she met her future husband, Bob White, who was in the Navy. The couple met at a bridge game in St. Louis, Missouri. They both enjoyed music, they liked to go to parties, and they had a lot in common. The couple fell in love and married in 1958 in Denver, Colorado. They settled in Los Alamitos. In 1960, Joan and Bob purchased the Shore House Restaurant in Belmont Shores from the Bernsteins, who are famous for their salad dressing.

Joan's smile got bigger and even prouder with the births of their two children, Pam and Mez. Joan took time off from teaching to raise their children. She was a great mom who was very involved. A gourmet cook, Joan always made sure the kids were well-fed. In fact, Pam remembers her making scrambled egg sandwiches before school in the morning. She also made homemade cakes for the kids' birthdays.

The garage door was always open at the White family home and neighbors and the kids' friends were always welcome. Joan liked having people over to the house.

Growing up in Pennsylvania, Joan gave her children a love of the Pittsburgh sports teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Every summer for many years, Pam and Mez went back to Pennsylvania to spend a month with Grandma. The entire family went back to Pennsylvania for Gram's birthday and family reunion and there was always a lot of good food, especially fresh peaches.

One year, Joan went to a Pirates game with her sisters and Pam. Pam's cousin, Bobbi George, even caught a baseball at that game.

The Shore House Restaurant involved the entire family. Bob was so proud to count the money in the morning. He ran the restaurant. On Friday and Saturday nights, Joan and Pam would hostess, while Mez would bus tables. The kids earned only $1 a night for their work... Mez earned an extra quarter if he didn't fall asleep on the way home from working, so then his dad wouldn't have to carry him inside the house.

The kids could eat anything at the restaurant except the lobster, unless it was their birthday. At that time, you could get a lobster meal for $2.50 and sometimes, Bob offered two dinners for the price of one. Both Joan and Bob were very proud of that restaurant and they instilled a strong work ethic in their children. In the White home, you had to earn your way.

Joan volunteered her time as a docent at the Banning Museum, Cerritos Performing Arts Center, and Los Alamitos Museum. She loved her volunteer work.

Before the kids graduated from high school, Joan went back to work as an educator and a coach. For two decades, she taught high school History and English during the day. And, then after school, she was a girls' athletic coach by coaching volleyball and softball. She was even Pam's coach and she coached two girls who went on to participate in the Olympics.

In 1984, the White family hosted the family for the Olympics when they were held in Los Angeles. The family got various tickets to different events and some of them saw Archery at El Dorado Park, a Cycling event, and Basketball, Italy vs. Canada.

Through the years, Joan celebrated the traditional holidays including Thanksgiving and Christmas. They always had a big meal for Thanksgiving and Christmas included a beautiful tree, all of the decorations, and presents from Santa Claus.

For New Year's it was a good luck tradition from the Kerr family to eat Pork and Sauerkraut, so Joan made it for her family. On New Year's Eve, Joan and Bob would visit the neighbor's houses and have cocktails.

Joan's favorite drink was Scotch and water, while Bob's favorite was Bourbon and soda.

Close friends Betty Jo and Jack Henry did lots of things with Joan and Bob. They traveled together, golfed together and they were part of the gourmet club.

As a gourmet cook who made everything from scratch, Joan loved her gourmet club. Two or three other couples took part in the gourmet club and they'd have a gourmet party once a month at one of their homes. The family ate very well through the years. In fact, Joan had a lifetime subscription to Gourmet Magazine. Joan was also health conscious. She stayed in shape and she did aerobics at 6:00 AM before she went to school in the morning.

Joan and Bob traveled all over the world. They took the kids to Jamaica and Bermuda. Mez joined them for a trip to Paris. And, they traveled to Europe, China, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and they even visited The Holy Land in Bethlehem. They loved going on cruises where they organized Bridge Tournaments. Both Joan and Bob were Life Masters in Bridge, which is one of the most highly sought levels of Bridge achievement. They even met former Rams Coach Tommy Prothro through playing Bridge. Joan liked playing Bridge, Uno, and she had a special talent for Trivial Pursuit.

Joan loved to golf and one time, she hit a hole in one. She quit golf when Mez was 12-years-old and beat her. Mez became a golf pro.

Joan loved going to the movies and she loved music. She enjoyed listening to Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, the Fifth Dimension, Dave Bruback, and Take 5. And, she was an avid reader of novels and all of the classics.

With a love of animals, Joan adored her basset hounds over the years. She rarely cried, but family friend Charlene remembers Joan cried when her basset hound Nicki died 30 years ago. She loved her dogs and always had basset hounds.

She was big into gardening her flowers and vegetables. She would grow tomatoes, zucchini, and a summer variety of vegetables.

By the time the kids became adults and found the love of their lives, it wasn't always easy with Joan. When Mez and Bobbi took Joan to a wedding in Dallas and they shared a hotel room, Joan took Bobbi aside and asked her, "What are your intentions with my son?" The couple was married shortly after that. And, with Greg, Joan wasn't very happy that he wore his hat into the house. But, Joan came to love both Bobbi and Greg with all of her heart and they miss her.

She shared her smile with the next generation, as Joan and Bob were known as Grandma and Grandpa. Joan was very proud of all of her grandchildren. Pam lived with her parents for a while and as Pam worked, Joan helped take care of the kids. Joan and Bob took Pam's kids on some vacations, too. And, they loved buying Christmas presents for the kids. Christmas was a fabulous holiday for the entire family.

Joan appreciated having so many friends and close neighbors. She also had students who would come back and visit her at school or see her out in public and say "Hi."

She had a very dry sense of humor and she liked to laugh. She appreciated special moments, too. The family held a surprise 60th birthday party for Joan at the Recreation Park Golf Course. Two of her sisters, Patricia and Martha, attended the party, which included a Polynesian fire show. More than 100 friends and family attended that gathering. And, then the family held an 80th birthday party for Joan just a few months ago at assisted living.

Joan's wish was always to be at home and her family honored her wishes. For the last two and a half months, she was at home with Pam and Greg. Pam told her, "I love you," every day and she knew her mom could hear her voice. Mez and Bobbi spent time with her. Her neighbors Jerry Weusthoff, Stan Che and Ciau Chang Che visited Joan religiously. And, Charlene helped with Joan's caretaking. Joan would hold two stuffed basset hounds in her hands for comfort. In the end, she passed away peacefully on Thanksgiving Day.

Joan's life was not about material things. She kept her car running until it stopped because she was not into spending money. Instead, her life was about people.

The best parts of Joan's life were her family, her teaching and coaching. She will best be remembered as generous, caring, and a good listener.

Her son-in-law Greg will miss Joan. She loved his cooking because of his garnishes. And, her daughter-in-law Bobbi was impressed when Joan would throw together a meal for 12 and make it look easy. Bobbi believed there was an art to her gourmet cooking.

Pam and Mez will miss the times from years ago, the big Thanksgiving gatherings, the gourmet meals, and those special moments with the entire family.

Her sister Martha said she was a great sister who helped her catch her husband Chick, of 55 years, until he recently passed away. Her Eldest Sister Pat remembers being sent to the cellar to retrieve canned goods, she was terrified of the cellar, (Pam still is) and their father had set rat traps there. Joan followed her and when they ran upstairs Joan chased her down and swayed the dead rat over her. Pat and Joan roomed together at Slippery Rock where Pat met her husband Tom George, also with Joan's help. They had four children three boys and one girl, which they named after Joan, but we call her Susie today.

Joan rarely cried, so she wouldn't want you to cry this day. She'd want you to remember her, but move forward and be happy in your own lives.

Joan was laid to rest with a Kerr plaid scarf, her stuffed basset hounds, and a baseball. If there is a heaven, the family believes that Joan and her grandson, Bobby, are cheering on Pittsburgh.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Mez and Isabel Kerr; her husband Bob; her grandson Bobby; and her brother-in-law Chick.

She is loved and remembered by her daughter Pam and son-in-law Greg; her son Mez and daughter-in-law Bobbi; her grandson James and his wife Roxanna; her granddaughter Jennifer; her grandson Mez Jr.; her great-grandson Andrew; her sister Patricia and brother-in-law Tom; her sister Martha; her sister Mimi; extended family, many friends, neighbors, and former students.

Memorial donations are welcome in Joan's name to the Banning Museum in Wilmington – www.banningmuseum.org.