Kerry Raymond French

Kerry Raymond French was born on the 8th of September 1948, in High Point, North Carolina, and passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Thursday the 7th of December 2023, in Houston. He was 75 years of age.

Kerry attended The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was one of the greatest Tar Heel basketball fans of all time (#GDTBATH). He was a proud Delta Sigma Pi alum and a lover of all things North Carolina, especially Kepley’s BBQ.

After graduating from UNC in 1970, he enlisted in the United States Army and was stationed in Ft. Hood, Texas during the Vietnam War. He received an honorable discharge and started his career at Pilot Life Insurance Company. He was promoted to the Orlando, Florida office in 1973. He moved to Houston shortly thereafter and worked at Ben G. McGuire & Co. and later started Stockton, Luedemann & French in 1985. He was a Senior Vice President and Managing Director at the Houston office of NorthMarq Capital and was a member of numerous professional real estate associations and organizations.

In addition to enjoying time with his family, Kerry’s absolute favorite pastime for the last 40 years was playing racquetball. He had several spots around the city of Houston where he would play, including the Houstonian, where he was a founding Resident Member. He played, on average, six days a week, sporting Ektelon racquets and a million black sweatbands. He looked forward to rolling the windows down and playing his ‘50s and ‘60s tunes in the car on the way to his games when the weather was crisp and cool enough to do so. When he wasn’t on the racquetball court, you could find him warming up for a pickleball game or skiing down Lost Boy in Vail, Colorado, always with a smile on his face.

Kerry’s greatest joy in life were his wife, two children, two granddaughters, and one granddog. He loved going for ‘urban hikes’ and bike rides with his son, daughter-in-law and granddaughters, and loved exploring the city of Chicago with his daughter and son-in-law. They were the fuel that gave him his great zest and energy for life.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Raymond Cecil and Naomi. He is survived by his wife, son and daughter-in-law, daughter and son-in-law, and two granddaughters.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from nine until half past eleven o’clock in the morning on Thursday, the 14th of December, in the grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, where a funeral service will follow in the adjacent Jasek Chapel with Fr. Leon Strieder officiating.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Mr. French’s name be directed to New Hope Housing, 3315 Harrisburg Boulevard, Suite 400, Houston, TX, 77003 or online at www.newhopehousing.com/donate or to the Brindell Scholars Program, Kenan-Flagler Business School at University of North Carolina, care of Taylor Brunson, UNC Chapel Hill Campus Box 3440, Kenan Center 408, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3440.