Death of a Pool Tournament Director

Joe Kerr, a leading pool tournament director and the father of Akron Open and Ohio State Championship, passed away last Sunday at the age of 63. Kerr was an enthusiastic promoter of billiards and a talented pool player until he was diagnosed with a progressive muscle disease. Kerr left behind his parents, two children (Jodi Noelle Carnathan and Joseph Robert Kerr) and three grandchildren.

Joe Kerr was an outstanding figure at the Ohio billiard scene of the 1980s. Known among pool players as the players' promoter, the pool tournaments ran and promoted by Kerr were famous for their fine organization and their fair attitude toward players. Kerr was also the first to push forward pool games such as one pocket and bank pool, now an integral part of many billiard events.

Born in 1945 in Akron, Ohio, Joe Kerr had a major degree in marketing and communications fro the University of Akron. While working in a men's fashion store in the city, Kerr worked on his career as a pool player and after winning several satellite tournament he decided to make pool tournaments promotion and management his major pursuit. During the 1980s, Joe Kerr under his brand Joker Promotion, had conducted over 250 different tournaments including the prestigious the Akron Open and the Ohio State Championship.