Otho E. Kerr

Waltham – Mr. Otho E. Kerr, Jr., a resident of Waltham for fifty-five years, died Monday, November 7, 2011. He was 87.

A native of Chicago, Otho was born on July 19, 1924 to Otho E., Sr. and Mary E. (Brown) Kerr and raised in the historic Rosenwald Apartment Building. After graduating from Englewood High School and spending his freshman year of college at Illinois Institute of Technology he joined the United States Army in order to serve his nation in World War II in North Africa and Italy.

After the war he enrolled at West Virginia State College, graduating in 1950. He met his loving wife Julia C. (Jones) Kerr while they were at West Virginia State. After graduation, he did post-graduate work at Northwestern University and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1951, he began a thirty-five year career working as a research physicist at the United States Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory, which ultimately moved to Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford. His career involved a pioneering role in the tracking of Sputnik 1 and participation in the development of the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative. As a result of his work, he became a member of Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, which honors excellence in scientific research.

Otho was an active member of his community. When they first moved to Waltham in the 1950's, Otho and Julia were active in the Fair Housing movement. Otho, formerly a member of First Baptist Church in Waltham, was a member of Christ Church Episcopal in Waltham for the past twenty years. He was a longtime member of the Waltham Lions Club where he became a Melvin Jones Fellow for his humanitarian service. He was also a longtime member of the board of directors of the Waltham Boys and Girls Club for which he was awarded the Walter and Margaret Abbott Community Service Award. Otho was a member of the Boston chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, for which he received the 50 Year Merit Award, the Outlook Club, the Piety Corner Club, and the Charles River Museum, where he helped to develop the computer lab.

In addition to his wife Julia of 61 years, he leaves his children, Mary E. Kerr of Waltham, Otho E. Kerr, III and Gregory E. Kerr, both of New York City.

Family and friends will honor and remember Otho's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Friday, November 11th, from 4 to 8 p.m. and again at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday morning in Christ Church, 750 Main Street, Waltham when his funeral service will be held. The Rev. Sara H. Irwin will officiate. Burial will be in Newton Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Christ Church, 750 Main Street, Waltham, MA 02451 or to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 and at www.dana-farber.org/.