One of our best and brightest, and my dear friend and business partner, Kerry L. Moorhead, passed away on June 4, 2002 from complications relating to her battle with leukemia. Kerry was born in San Francisco, raised in South San Francisco and attended high school at Mercy Burlingame. She graduated from UCLA where she was a member of the varsity crew team, and then earned her law degree from the University of San Francisco.

She began her law career at a civil litigation firm, but quickly realized she wanted to practice family law. Determined not to let a little thing like a first year associate’s billable hour requirement stop her, she took on a pro bono family law case. After spending time meeting family law attorneys on the Peninsula, a job opened up at Hanson & Norris, and it was soon thereafter that Kerry was in San Mateo and getting a crash course in family law litigation.

In July of 1996, while Kerry and I were having lunch, she told me about how she had just completed her first marathon with a group called Team in Training which raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. At that time, Kerry had no connection to leukemia and always joked this was just her way to stay fitting in her jeans. I was very impressed and intrigued, and before I knew it, Kerry had convinced me that I, too, could run a marathon, and the next thing you know I signed up for, trained and completed my first marathon, again raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Ironically, it was about six months later that Kerry was diagnosed with leukemia herself. She immediately began chemotherapy treatments and spent the next 30 days or so at Stanford Hospital. The results were fantastic and Kerry’s leukemia went into remission. She continued with chemotherapy and other treatment protocol and before we knew it, she was back to work, this time with the Hanson Family Law Group.

That year, she became chair of the Family Law Section of the San Mateo County Bar Association, she ran two more marathons, she studied and passed the California StateBar Family Law Specialist Exam, and she traveled to Lourdes, France to attend to and comfort other patients on their pilgrimage. Then, after a lot of thoughtful planning and hard work, she and I left our respective firms, formed a partnership, and opened the doors of Canter•Moorhead in March of 2000.

Unfortunately, it was only six weeks after we opened that Kerry foundout that the leukemia was back, more serious than ever, and that she would need an immediate bone marrow transplant. Miraculously a bone marrow donor was found, and Kerry received her transplant in July of 2000. Following the transplant, however, Kerry began experiencing seizures and other complications, which ultimately would take her life. And although her battle to stay here on this earth was not to be won, the mark she left on me, and so many others, will keep her spirit alive.

Kerry was an extraordinary person in so many ways. She was incredibly hardworking and ambitious, but she was also tremendously caring. She had an amazing ability to connect with people and communicate on levels much deeper than most people are capable of. Her clients adored her, and her opposing counsel always respected her. Her strength and spirit during good times, but even more so during the hard times was unparalleled. Despite the numerous horrors she experienced, both physical and emotional, she honestly never complained. She was truly an inspiration to everyone who knew her, especially me. Most of all, Kerry made people feel good. She always made me feel great. I will miss her deeply and I struggle with feeling this void that I know is impossible to fill.

– Pamela R. Canter

Return to Our Firm