Obituary of Pat Kerr Falco

Mrs. Pat Kerr Falco, age 83 of Hartsville, TN died Wednesday evening, November 20, 2013 at Trousdale Medical Center, Hartsville, TN. She is survived by her husband, Dr. James Falco-Hartsville, TN and 13 nieces and nephews to whom she was totally devoted. She was born in Trousdale County to John Jarvis Kerr and Julia Paris Kerr on March 23, 1930. Pat was the first woman to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from the University of Tennessee in 1952. She had a long and successful research career at the Oak Ridge national Laboratory, Research Institute for Advanced Studies and the USEPA Research Laboratory at Athens, Georgia. She was the first woman to become a research group leader at the Athens Laboratory. Pat was an internationally recognized scientist publishing many scientific articles which became standard references in her discipline. Many of them are still used to this day 30 years after they were published. She spent the end of her career at Heritage University on the Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington teaching science to Native Americans and Hispanic immigrants. She was devoted to her students whom she advised to completion of their degrees and afterwards in graduate studies at other institutions. She will be missed by her family, her students and her many friends in Trousdale County. Graveside services will be held at 9 AM Friday morning, November 29, 2013 at Hartsville Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ward School Community Preservation Association. Anthony Funeral Home, Hartsville, TN in charge of arrangements.