…retired from Tewksbury Hospital; 82
TEWKSBURY - Mrs. Joanne Ellen Kerber, R.N., age 82, a well known and respected resident of Tewksbury for the past four decades, died peacefully on Friday morning, November 20, in the care of her loving family at her Tewksbury home. She was the wife of Tewksbury businessman and Forensic Investigator Robert F. Kerber, with whom she had celebrated a fifty-third wedding anniversary this past October 29th.
Joanne was born in Worcester, on October 31, 1933, a daughter of the late Paul R. and Julia (Stevens) Haran, and was raised in Worcester. She received her Nursing instructions at the Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Worcester, and later earned her B.A. in Nursing at Worcester State College. After her marriage to Bob, she travelled the world while raising her family, as her husband was assigned to Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Philippine Islands as an Intelligence Officer for the U.S. Air Force.
After twenty-three years of service to their country, they moved to Tewksbury in 1974.
Joanne was a member of the Mass R.N. Association, the American Bunka Association, and was an accomplished musician with keyboard instruments.
Besides her husband, she leaves three children, Patricia A. Hauser and her husband Andrew of AZ, Daniel P. and his wife Wendie (Everett) Kerber of Tewksbury, with whom she resided, and Timothy D. Kerber and his wife Kathleen (Alonzo) Kerber of Exeter, NH; nine grandchildren, Jimmy, Katie, Kevin, Danielle, Tyler, Toria, A.J., Travis, and Julia; a sister, Patricia O’Leary and her husband Francis “Binnie” O’Leary of Worcester; and many nieces and nephews.
She was also the former mother-in-law of the late James Karas, who died unexpectedly last week in Arizona.
At her request funeral services are private.
Memorial donations to the Mass Nurses Foundation, Scholarship Fund, 340 Turnpike St., Canton, MA 02021 of visit www.massnurses.org Arrangements are through the Tewksbury Funeral Home. www.tewksburyfuneralhome.com