D. Gail Kearns

1944 - 2021

D. Gail (Kerr) Kearns, 76, of Concord, died suddenly at her Concord home on March 11th, 2021. Gail was born in 1944 in Cleveland, Tenn., daughter of the late Dick and Dorothy (Lewis) Kerr. She received a Bachelor's Degree in English from the University of Tennessee in 1966 and a Master's Degree in Education from Lesley University in Cambridge in 1982. She also earned a Certificate of Advanced Study in reading from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1983. Gail taught English in Titusville, FL. from 1966-67 and moved to Boston in 1967 where she taught junior high English in Hyde Park and fifth grade in the North End. After her marriage in 1969 to Daniel E. Kearns, the couple moved from Boston to Concord, adjacent to the beautiful Great Meadows wildlife area. The goal of empowering all children with reading fluency was an essential part of Gail's life. She served as a reading specialist in the public schools of Needham and Lexington and taught reading education classes and supervised reading practicums for students at Lesley University. In the 1980s, she chaired an I.R.A. committee of reading specialists which focused on development of young authors. She enjoyed long-term research collaborations with Jeanne Chall and Mary Curtis on diagnostic tests of reading and with Andrew Biemiller on vocabulary assessment. From 1996 to 2006, Gail operated the Kearns Reading Clinic to help children in Concord and surrounding towns to become better readers. Gail worked relentlessly to tackle social justice issues. She was a longtime member of the Trinitarian Congregational Church of Concord where she originated the "Youth Activities" that enabled the Concord CROP Walk to become a leader in raising money for hunger for more than twentyfive years. She was a member of the town Democratic Party and an elected member of the Concord Democratic Committee. Gail was an ardent admirer of music and drama with a passion for puppetry. She was a member of the Boston Area Guild of Puppeteers, joined the Lincoln Sudbury Community Orchestra after taking up the violin in her sixties and enjoyed playing the recorder in yearly early music retreats. She leaves behind a brother Dixon Kerr of Richmond, VA., children Kristin Kearns of Bolton, Margaret Kearns of Weymouth and Dan Kearns of Half Moon Bay, CA., along with grandchildren Eve, Josephine and Louisa Kearns. She was predeceased by her husband Dan and her sister Charlotte Ann (Kerr). Gail was laid to rest during a private burial service on March 18th at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord. A memorial celebrating Gail's life is expected to take place in the spring of 2022. The family requests that those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a contribution in Gail's memory to Julie's Family Learning Program, 133 Dorchester Street, South Boston, MA. 02127. (juliesfamily.org). Arrangements are under the care of Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord. To share a remembrance or to offer a condolence in her online guestbook, please visit www.DeeFuneralHome.com.