Kerin Clevenger Hough

Kerin Clevenger Hough, 89, passed away Wednesday, August 27, 2025 in Venice. She is survived by son Grady Hough III (Karen) of Nokomis, daughter Tanya Hough (Patrick Snee) of Painesville, Ohio, and daughter Kara Cantu (Bryan), of Grove City, Ohio. She is survived also by her sister Marley Beers (Jetze) of Nokomis, seven grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1936, her family moved several times before relocating to Venice, where Kerin met her future husband, Grady Hough, at Venice High School. She and Grady married in 1956 while they attended the University of Florida. Kerin paused her studies to raise a family but resumed and finished her degree in art from New College in 1973.

Although focused on raising her family, Kerin, was a gifted athlete who excelled in nearly all sports. She bowled on teams at the Venice bowling centers for several years, winning numerous championships. She played tennis frequently and was the Mission Valley Golf Champion for a number of years.

Kerin’s creativity reflected her passion for art. She explored and developed skills in media such as sculpture, stone carving, pottery, and various painting media, creating a multitude of works that exhibit a variety of techniques and styles, but she was always captivated by vibrant color. Kerin also matted and framed her own work and entered her pieces in art shows and sold works at the Venice Rotary Club Art Festival, which she and her husband Grady worked to establish in the early 1990s. The festival has flourished ever since.

Kerin was also very mechanical and a whiz with power tools, and while she could fix anything, she was always looking for new things to make. She refurbished an old canoe with fiberglass and even repurposed an old ship door into the coffee table that was a fixture in their living room. She shared her love of creativity with her grandchildren. Together they made all types of artwork, painting gourds and making masks, to whimsically painting furniture.

Kerin loved architecture, studying the styles of older Venice homes, and inspired by this, she designed the family home in Mission Valley as well as the office of Hough & Company P.A. CPAs, and she aided Grady III in the design of his home.

Sadly, Kerin suffered from dementia and other health issues in her later years, but she always beamed with appreciation when family or friends visited.

A memorial will be held beginning at 10 a.m. at the Farley Funeral Home on Nokomis Avenue in Venice on August 18. A service will start at 11:00, followed by interment at Sarasota National Cemetery at 1:00, where she will rest with her husband, D. Grady Hough, Jr. To send a condolence or memory please visit www.farleyfuneralhome.com.