Obituary of Norman John Kerr

Kerr, Norman John 83, passed away peacefully on November 16, 2023, in Orono, MN from complications of Parkinson's disease. He was born on September 12, 1940 in St. Cloud, MN to Helen and Norman J. Kurr and was the oldest of five brothers. He is preceded in death by his parents and three of his brothers, Dennis, Michael and Peter. He is survived by his three children, Patrick Kerr of Aliso Viejo, CA, Katie Steines (Teric) of Dallas, TX, and Crissy Field (Jim) of Orono, MN; his ex-wife Carol Kerr of Edina, MN; his brother Paul Kurr of AZ; and eight grandchildren. Norm was a driven and interesting character who was always making deals. After a career in advertising in New York and Minneapolis, he parlayed his skills to become a self-taught, successful real estate entrepreneur for many years. His legacy included owning and revitalizing the storied Curtis Hotel, the Sheraton Ritz hotel, and the Pick-Nicollet hotel in Minneapolis; office buildings including the Soo Line Building, the Marquette Building, the Omni Building, the Metropolitan Mansion, and the Commercial Building in Minneapolis; various banks, medical buildings, apartment complexes, health clubs, and housing developments in Minneapolis; hotels in Dallas, Austin, and Corpus Christi, TX, Albuquerque, NM and South Beach, FL; a casino in Cripple Creek, CO; and other properties in Manhattan, Hayward, WI and Palm Beach, FL. Norm had a great sense of humor and a lot of charm, qualities he kept until the end. To Norm, there was never a situation where humor could not be found or a deal that could not be made. He truly thought outside of the box, in business and in life. He was unique and he will be missed. The family would like to thank the extraordinary staff at Trails of Orono and the hospice team of Park Nicollet. They were extremely caring, attentive and supportive of Norm and the family, and we are forever grateful. A private service will be held for family.