Merle Kerr Moody, a 53-year Pacific Palisades resident, died on Wednesday, July 28. She was 89 years old. Born in Cleveland on May 12, 1921, Merle moved to Santa Monica with her parents, Mearl and Helen Chapman, and her brother, James, in the mid-1930s. She attended Lincoln Junior High, where she met her second husband of nine years; Santa Monica High, where she met her first husband of 58 years; and Santa Monica City College. Merle married Robert Kerr on November 29, 1941, days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Bob worked for AiResearch, which later became the Garrett Corporation. He volunteered with the Army Air Corps and was subsequently sent for radar-repair training. He supported the war effort in this capacity in England, France and Germany from 1943-1945. During this time, Merle remained in Santa Monica with her parents, quitting her job at Edison to raise daughter Dianne, who was born in 1943. Eight years later, Bob and Merle added a son, Greg, and in 1957 they moved into their dream home in Pacific Palisades. Merle devoted her time to raising her children, working on election boards (back in the days when votes were counted manually), volunteering at Los Angeles Childrens Hospital, the Santa Monica Hospital gift shop and Les Marraines. She enjoyed socializing with her Palisades friends. After Bob’s retirement, they traveled the world and spent a lot of time with their grandchildren. Following Bob’s death in 1999, Merle became reacquainted, via a funeral, with her first boyfriend, Hugh Moody, from Lincoln Junior High. Hugh had also lost his wife. Merle and Hugh married in 2001 and enjoyed nine wonderful years together until Hugh’s passing on May 30 this year. Merle went downhill rapidly after the loss of Hugh. Merle leaves behind her daughter, Dianne Macondray (husband Malcolm) of San Juan Capistrano; son Greg Kerr (wife Libby) of Atascadero; four grandchildren, Griffin Macondray (wife Susan), Laurel Macondray, Kassidy Curtis (husband Whit) and Graham Kerr; and three great-granddaughters, Camille and Clarissa Macondray and Whitney Curtis; and sister-in-law, Hilda Chapman. Merle was predeceased by her brother, Jim Chapman, in 1999. ‘ A memorial gathering is planned with friends and family in August at Merle’s home to celebrate the lives and legacies of both Merle and Hugh. A gift of remembrance may be made to Hospice Partners of Southern California, 1919 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 200, Santa Monica, CA 90404 or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 26 Broadway, 14th floor, New York, NY 10275.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
