J. B. Kerbow's Obituary
J.B. “Jay” Kerbow, PhD died on November 10, 2014 at Arden Courts of Richardson of complications from Alzheimer’s. Born on December 19, 1927 in Dallas, TX, Dr. Kerbow was the 5th of 6 children born to Edna Scott and Earl B. Kerbow of Oak Cliff. He graduated from Adamson High School in 1945. In 1951, Dr. Kerbow met and married Dorothy Lorene Hill and lived in Wichita Falls, TX, where he was a French interpreter for NATO, teaching jet mechanics to visiting French military. After his tour with NATO ended, Dr. Kerbow and his wife returned to Dallas, where he went back to college and received his BA and MA in French from SMU. He received his PhD in French from Yale and returned to Texas to teach at SMU, then at UT Austin, and finally the University of Dallas. In 1970, Dr. Kerbow accepted a position at Frostburg State University in Western Maryland, where he was Chairman of the Modern Foreign Language Dept. for 23 years. He and his wife Dottie traveled to France many times and enjoyed entertaining friends and family in their home in University Park after retiring to Dallas in 1993. He and Dottie established the Frances D. Davis Scholarship Fund in Drama at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, the Leila Suter Scholarship Fund at Frostburg State University, and the Kerbow/Suter Scholarship Fund at SMU. Dr. and Mrs. Kerbow were active in the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI Dallas), Planned Living Assistance Network of North Texas (PLAN), the Refugee Center of Dallas, and the Democratic Party. They supported many organizations including The Dallas Chamber Music Society, the Fine Arts Chamber Players, the SMU Orchestra, the Madi Museum, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Kimball Museum of Art, the Modern Museum of Fort Worth, the Nasher Sculpture Gallery, the Wagner Society of Dallas, and many other local and national organizations. Dr. Kerbow is survived by his daughter, Christina Kerbow; son, Alan Kerbow; granddaughter, Courtney Trumbull and great granddaughter, Alexandra Trumbull-Johnson, all of Dallas, TX. The visitation for Jay will be from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 at Restland Funeral Home. Service for Jay will be held on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at 12:30 PM in The Wildwood Chapel at Restland Funeral Home. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue, at Restland Road, Dallas, TX 75238. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to PLAN of N. TX, PLAN Homes, Inc., and the Alzheimer’s Association.
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