Jerome J. “Jerry” Kerwin, 85, formerly of Chestnut Hill, co-owner of two firms that specialized in providing supplies to the oil pipeline and construction industries, died June 10 in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he had been living since 2013.
Mr. Kerwin and his wife, Helen, operated NRG Enterprises and Astral Trading in Lafayette Hill. The couple also were proprietors of the Main Line Paint and Wallpaper Store in Berwyn from 1991 to 1993.
Earlier Mr. Kerwin had been president of Tubular Goods and executive vice president of Doolan Industries, both in New Jersey. He began his career with the Wisconsin-based Kohler Company.
Raised in Germantown, he was a graduate of Immaculate Conception Parish School and La Salle College High School. During the Korean War he served as a wire chief with the 25th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard in Korea.
He is survived by daughters Helen K. Diemer, of Philadelphia, Barbara A. Kerwin, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Charlene S. Kerwin, also of Salt Lake City; a son, Jerome P. “Jerry” Kerwin, of Morgantown,W. Va.; brothers Jack and Jim, and four grandchildren. Mr. Kerwin's wife, the former Helen T. McGinley, died in 1994.
A celebration of his life will be held at a date to be determined. Memorial donations may be made to Project Home, 1515 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130 (projecthome.org) , Little Flower High School, 1000 West Lycoming St., Philadelphia, PA 19140 (www.littleflowerhighschool.org) or Boys Town, 14100 Crawford St. Boys Town, NE 68010 (www.boystown.org). – WF
