Patricia A. Kerrins

[ Originally published on: Friday, November 20, 2009 ]

LYNN -- Patricia A. Kerrins at 56 years, Revere native -- health care director and educator for Franklin County.

Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial funeral Mass on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 11 a.m. in the Church of St. Pius V, 215 Maple St., Lynn, for Patricia A. Kerrins, who died in Lynn on Monday evening, Nov. 16, 2009. Kerrins was a victim of breast cancer, which she fought for over 16 years.

Born in Chelsea, she was raised in Revere and was a 1970 alumna of St. Rose Catholic High School of Chelsea. She was a 1974 alumna of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

She began her 32-year career in Home Health Care in Franklin County. In 1977, she was hired as fiscal director of Franklin County Home Care Corp. (FCHCC), but soon became the director of Community Services, assistant director and then executive director of the agency. After 15 years there, she left and began another career in the late 1990s with Franklin Medical Center, eventually becoming the administrator of that facility until her death.

In Franklin County and around the Commonwealth, Ms. Kerrins is regarded as a champion and innovator of improvements within the Home Care Programs. She worked incessantly for increased funding for the education and the actual implementation of Home Health Care Policy. She was one of the pioneers of the founding of the Older Workers Employment Program, which came through the Title III grant funding and then sustained through collaboration with the Dept. of Employment & Training. It is remarkable, that in spite of her very long 16-year diagnosis with breast cancer, she returned to her work and education with renewed interest and energy.

Within her career, she served as administrative assistant to the Amherst Redevelopment Authority, was acting executive director of Stavros Independent Living Center of Amherst, executive director (1989-1996) of Franklin County Home Care Corp. in Turners Falls and finally as senior management community director for Franklin Medical Center Management Team. She also served as a member or officer of the Mary Lyon Educational Fund of Buckland, Shelburne Senior Center Council on Aging, Community Health Center of Franklin County, Independent Living Resources Inc., Stavros Inc., and the Mass. Home Care Association.

Ms. Kerrins leaves her mother, Jean F. (Innes) Kerrins of Revere and was the daughter of the late Thomas J. Kerrins Jr. She is the sister of Kathleen J. Kerrins of Revere, Thomas J. Kerrins III and his wife Ellen Torres of Danville, Calif., and Atty. Michael P. Kerrins and his wife Paula . of Lynn and Revere. She is the aunt of Jessica Britt and her husband Jarrett of Quincy, Thomas Kerrins-Torres and Stephen Kerrins-Torres, both of Danville, Calif., and Sophia M. and Benjamin D. Kerrins, both of Lynn. She is also survived by her devoted partner, John Dunphy of Montague; her aunt, Dorothy Bowman of Melrose, and her uncle, Jack Proverb and his wife, Lois of Chelmsford.

Since 1970, when she began as a student at UMass, she has been a resident of Franklin County (in Amherst, Shelburne Falls and Montague).

Interment will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Mary Lyon Foundation, P.O. Box 184, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370.

Arrangements were completed by the Vertuccio Home for Funerals of Revere.

 

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