June 26, 2019
In Memoriam — Joe Kerr
Joe joined Unilock as Sales Manager in 1982, at a time when the company was operating exclusively within Ontario, however, owner, Ed Bryant’s vision for the company was much grander than this, and Joe quickly became Ed’s ‘right hand man’ in turning this vision into reality.
Together, Ed and Joe developed the Ontario market, then moved on to expand operations to Chicago, New York, Detroit, Boston and Ohio. For a time, Joe and his wife Joan moved with their two young sons to Brewster, New York, where Joe served as General Manager, assembling a team to start up operations there.
Returning to Toronto in the early 1990’s as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Joe and Joan Kerr joined Ed and Heather Bryant in welcoming the employees of newly-acquired Risi Stone and Decraloc to the Unilock family over the next few years. These two couples powerfully projected the Unilock family culture that remains a bedrock of the company today.
Joe is fondly remembered by Unilock employees, distributors, suppliers and industry association colleagues, as a no-nonsense, action-oriented business leader who played a critical role in the advancement of the paver industry. As well, he is recognized for his dedication and desire to connect with people not just on a business level, but personally as well. Joe retired from Unilock in 2010 after 28 years of service.
Joe will be dearly missed by his beloved wife Joan, their sons, Sean and Michael, daughter-in-law, Duana and grandson, Theo. He is survived by his brothers: Leo, Terry and Brian, as well as sister, Marie. Joe’s brother, Chris and his parents are predeceased.
Joe’s wishes were to forego a traditional funeral, however, his family are planning a celebration of life, for which details will be shared at some point in the future.
Donations in Joe’s name will be gratefully accepted at AnsweringTTP.org.