Longtime Malibu resident Anette Macdonald Kerr died recently at age 89.
Kerr was born Jan. 22, 1922. She grew up in Northern California, lived near Boston for a short time and then lived in Michigan before returning to California.
Kerr served as a private in the United States Army and fought in World War II. She was first stationed in England where she enjoyed bicycling to Stonehenge and was later transferred to France where she had the opportunity to explore Paris often with friends.
When the war was over, Kerr returned to the U.S. and used her G.I. Bill to attend the University of California Los Angeles, where she earned a degree in dietetics. After graduating, she began working at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica. During this time, she met her future husband, Irving, through a friend in 1953. They married in Las Vegas in a small chapel on the north side of town the next year.
Shortly after marrying, the couple bought a home in Malibu and began attending Malibu Presbyterian Church. Kerr taught Sunday school for many years and became known as the cheerful woman taking care of children all over Malibu. The couple had two children, Ralph and Irving Jr., who died when he was 10 years old.
Kerr returned to work at Pepperdine University’s law office. She also joined the Geographic Club at UCLA and embarked on many trips to Sequoia National Park, the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Mexico. Kerr and her husband continued to travel all around the world, through New Zealand, Europe, Israel and across the U.S., including Alaska. Their favorite spot was Tuscany and all the traveling made Kerr a talented chef.
Kerr is survived by her husband Irv, her son Ralph and her younger sister. She is preceded in death by her son Irv Jr., her parents and other Macdonald family members.
A memorial service took place Jan. 7.