Burton D. Kerr

On Wednesday, June 29th, 2022, Burton “Burt” Dodge Kerr, beloved husband and father of three, passed away at the age of 95 from complications of pneumonia.

Burt was born February 8, 1927 in Fort Dodge, Iowa to Malcolm H. Kerr and Esther B. (Fearing) Kerr Miller.  Burt’s other nicknames included “John” and “Johnny”.

Burt attended elementary school in Fort Dodge, Iowa and later Storrs, Connecticut.  He was a graduate of the former Hyattsville High School in Maryland and attended college at the University of Maryland College Park, where he studied Botany and became an ardent Terrapins sports fan.  He was also a member of the Agriculture Club, led by his father, who was a professor there.

Burt was a WWII veteran in the Navy, having trained in Shoemaker, California and served with honors at the Naval Air Stations in Alameda, California and Corpus Christi, Texas.  Burt’s service included completion of a 20-week Radio School curriculum.

Burt’s professional life included being a ballroom dance instructor with the Don Pallini Dance Studio in Washington, DC, where he met his future wife, Alice White.  After marrying Alice on June 29th, 1952, he worked in plant industry at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland, followed by a stint as a radio announcer in North Wilkesboro, NC.  Burt found his true calling as an insurance agent for Prudential in 1960, where he remained for over 30 years until his eventual retirement in 1992.

In 1956, Burt and Alice settled in the “New Deal” planned community of Greenbelt, MD on Ridge Road, where they had their daughter Lisa and son Jeff.  In 1962, Burt and Alice moved to the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Greenbelt, where they had their son John.  They were fixtures of the Woodland Hills community, residing there for 57 years, until 2019.  In the fall of 2019, Burt and Alice relocated to the Riderwood retirement community in Silver Spring, MD.  In 2021, Burt relocated to "The Landing", an assisted living facility in Silver Spring, MD.

Deeply religious, Burt was a deacon at the Berwyn Presbyterian Church in Maryland, and later attended a few local contemporary Christian churches.

Burt loved people and was always quick with a joke and a smile.  Burt loved playing and watching sports.  In addition to the Terrapins, he was an avid fan of the Washington Redskins football team and Washington Nationals baseball team.

Burt and Alice continued with ballroom dancing throughout their years together.  Burt’s other hobbies included playing bridge with Alice at the Greenbelt Bridge Club, bowling at Rinaldi's in Riverdale, captaining and playing with a Greenbelt senior softball league team, horseshoes at the Greenbelt Labor Day festival, and miniature golf while vacationing at the beach.  In his later years, he enjoyed playing the card game "Tonk" with family and other visitors.

Burt was preceded in death by his father, Malcolm and mother, Esther.  He is survived by his wife Alice, sister Janet (Kerr) Inzerilla, brother David, daughter Lisa (Kerr) Anderson, sons Jeff and John, and grandchildren Michael and Mary Anderson.

Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 23, 2022 from 1-4pm from the Riderwood Senior Community Center, Celebration Room.  Please ask for the Burton Kerr service at the gate. Dress is business casual.