Longtime columnist Gail Kerr passed away last week. She had been battling cancer, and passed away from a blood clot at the age of 52. Gail spent her entire career with The Tennessean. In a statement, Sen. Lamar Alexander said: “Gail Kerr always spoke her mind, and always with wisdom—whether you agreed with her or not. Her reporting and her columns were fresh and in touch with everyday living. Nashville will miss her voice.”
A statement from U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper reads: “Gail Kerr was probably the most trusted person in Nashville. Everyone read her columns and believed what she said. You didn’t have to agree with Gail to love her. She was Nashville’s finest.”
District 5 Councilman Scott Davis remembers Gail Kerr always being fair, regardless of the circumstances. “She also saw potential in others, even when no one else did,” Davis said.
“She had her fingers on the pulse on the community as few journalist do. She could write about people in trouble, people that had tragedy or great joys. She could write about religious celebrations, hard-nosed politics or crime. She had done it all as a reporter, so she was so well prepared,” said John Seigenthaler, former editor of The Tennessean. “It’s a great loss. For me, I feel a great personal loss. But I think the paper and her readers are really going to miss her.”
