At right, Ray Novotny presents Jim Kerr with a cardinal sculpture cast in honor of Kerr’s 2015 Conservation Educator of the Year award honor on behalf of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Kerr recently was announced among 20 veterans honored in the Ohio Veterans’ Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025. (Submitted photo)

COLUMBUS — Admitting that the honor is somewhat bittersweet, a Youngstown man is celebrating the induction of a late colleague into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame next month in recognition of his post-military accomplishments.

Jim Kerr, a longtime biology teacher at Beaver Local High School, is one of the posthumous inductees for the VHOF’s Class of 2025.

Kerr passed away on March 26, 2024, at the age of 82.

Ray Novotny, who served as a naturalist for Mill Creek MetroParks before retiring in 2016, nominated his friend whom he thought was well-deserving of the honor.

Initial offers of nomination were refused by Kerr, who believed that his Army service didn’t merit his inclusion. However, Novotny wore him down in 2023, explaining his post-military work in wildlife education did render him worthy per the honor’s description.

He explained, “I needed Jim’s permission to nominate him as I had to furnish some information only found on his military documents.”

Kerr passed that following year and finally gets in the HOF two years later.

“It seems like there is a bit of a waiting game with this,” explained Novotny, who admitted he is a self proclaimed serial nominator for this sort of thing.

He still believes that Kerr was uniquely deserving of the Hall of Fame honor.

“Jim started Beaver Creek’s wildlife education center from scratch. I believe this was his crowning achievement not to mention volunteered in excess of 15,000 hours out there,” Novotny continued. “He also was responsible for educating a couple generations out there between the high school and state park. It is no wonder that he was such an important part of the community there.

The actual induction ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 6 at the Fawcett Center, 2400 Olentangy River Road in Columbus, on The Ohio State University. The public is welcome to attend.

Novotny expects not to attend. It is unknown whether any nieces or nephews will be able to represent Kerr on his behalf.

John C. Harris, ODVS director, spoke about the experience of congratulating all 17 living honorees as well as family members of Kerr and the other two posthumous inductees, James G. Jackson and Jay J. Shuer.

“I was struck by the humility all of these people of accomplishment showed when I gave them the news,” Harris explained. “It is clear they all do this out of devotion to others and not for recognition, yet they are so deserving.”

The Class of 2025 joins 994 Ohio veterans in the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame, which was established by former Gov. George Voinovich to recognize post-military achievements in 1992.

Members are honored in a permanent display at the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts.

sujhelyi@mojonews.com