Richard Stephen Kerr, M.D.

Richard Stephen Kerr, M.D., 84, passed away Monday, October 5, 2026, at Mon Heath Medical Center in Morgantown, with his family at his side.

He was born April 27, 1942, in Martin’s Ferry, Ohio, to the late Harold Neely and Susan Sarkany Kerr. After an early childhood in Ohio, he grew up in Morgantown, attending Westover Junior High and Morgantown High School, where he set the course of his life when he met and started dating Linda Diane Fleming. After graduating from MHS in 1960, they attended West Virginia University, both completing undergraduate degrees in three years. They were married on June 4, 1963. Richard graduated from WVU medical school in 1967 and, after internship and residency, was a major serving as a physician in the U.S. Army in Newport News, Virginia.

In 1973, the family returned to Morgantown, and he began a 35-year career as an obstetrician-gynecologist in private practice. Richard estimated that through the years, he helped to bring some 7,000 babies into the world, and he always appreciated the privilege of assisting patients in their most joyous times and supporting them through difficult ones.

Richard was a devoted husband to Linda and a loving father to his daughters, Trudy and Amy, providing them a childhood filled with unwavering support and adventures from traveling and fishing to shooting and camping. He later shared many of these activities with his four beloved grandchildren.

When Richard chose to do something, he dove in all the way. When Amy showed an early obsession with horses, he purchased a pony for her and horse for himself, learning to ride as an adult and sharing countless happy days riding together. He leveraged an interest in airplanes and a fascination with flying into a private pilot’s license and spent as much time as he could in the skies. When his strong political convictions left him unhappy with the status quo, he put his money and time into giving voters a choice, running for U.S. Congress as a Libertarian and garnering a significant share of votes against an entrenched incumbent.

Richard was an accomplished woodworker, taking delight in finding the exact right tool for any job and building many of the features in the family’s home; a lifelong golfer, enjoying his time playing with friends at the Pines Country Club; an enthusiastic gardener, who made jam from his grapes and strawberries and canned salsa and peppers; and an avid marksman and active member of the Mason-Dixon Rifle Club, where he competed in pistol matches and taught his grandchildren to shoot. In retirement, he threw himself into nutrition, healthy cooking, and exercising, and fought his various health challenges by living the best way he knew how.

Many people’s memories of Richard include his kindness and generosity. He remembered people’s names, genuinely cared about their well-being, was always willing to lend a hand, and cared deeply about helping those who were less fortunate, especially children. Throughout his life, Richard met both the good and bad with a sharp sense of humor. He was quick with a joke — clean or slightly off-color — and a laugh, a smile, or a smirk, as the situation warranted. Richard employed his keen intelligence not just through school and in his profession but also in devoting himself to lifelong learning and knowledge-sharing through extensive reading, purposeful thinking, lively debate, and many a letter to the editor. These traits clearly manifested early, as Richard was voted “Wittiest,” “Most Outstanding Personality,” and “Most Likely to Succeed” among the boys of the MHS Class of 1960.

In addition to his wife, Linda Fleming Kerr, Richard is survived by his sister, Marsha Musk and husband, Gordon, of Haslemere, Surrey, England; daughters Trudy Kerr Lonegan and husband, Steve, of Chapel Hill, N.C., and Amy Kerr Howat and husband, Chris, of Columbus, Ohio; grandchildren Ryan Lonegan of Atlanta, Porter Lonegan of Boston, Abigail Howat of Portland, Ore., and Ensign Jonathan Howat of Ewa Beach, Hawaii; sister-in-law Kay Zinn of Fairmont; nephews Mark Davison and Robert Zinn; nieces Elizabeth Sidani, Suzanne Cantlay, and Karen Zinn Stallman; numerous great-nieces and -nephews; the Thursday Pines lunch group; countless friends and colleagues; and one loquacious parrot, Bogey.

Friends and family will be received at Hastings Funeral Home, 153 Spruce St. in Morgantown on Sunday, October 11th from 3:00-6:00pm. Visitation will continue on Monday, October 12th from 10:00am until the time of the funeral service at 11:00am with Rev. Junius Lewis officiating. Interment will follow at Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens in Westover.

The family encourages those wishing to honor Richard to support causes that were near and dear to him — helping the hungry, children in foster care, and veterans. Donations may be made to Mountaineer Food Bank (www.mountaineerfoodbank.org), CASA for Kids (www.casaforkidsmpc.org), and Tunnels to Towers (www.t2t.org). Including his name on the donation (where applicable) would be appreciated.

Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.hastingsfuneralhome.com