Charles H. Kemp, 92, of South Bristol, died Jan. 17 with complications of pneumonia at Cove’s Edge Nursing Home. He was born July 24, 1916 in Worcester, Mass., the son of Fred Joseph and Ethel Gertrude (Tracey) Kemp and the brother of 11 siblings.
He attended Tatnuck Elementary School and then Boy’s Trade School in Worcester. He was a member of the choir at Wesley Methodist Church, where he met and married Vera (Steur) Kemp on Oct. 18, 1941.
Charlie was employed by Wyman-Gordon Company in Worcester from the time he left Boy’s Trade until his retirement at age 60 in 1976. The only time he left Wyman-Gordon’s was when he enlisted in the Marines in December 1941, after the events that took place in Pearl Harbor. Charlie became a Sergeant and was stationed in various sites in the South Pacific for the duration of WWII.
Charlie was a Mason in the Rufus Putnum Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Rutland, Mass. for over 60 years. He was an avid golfer, enjoyed skiing, boating, gardening, house care-taking, and bird watching and was most famous in his later years for his long walks with his many friends on Rutherford Island where he and his wife retired in 1980.
Charlie became one of the original volunteer First Responders for Rutherford Island in 1982, helping Emergency Medical Technicians to serve local island emergencies. He also served as a school bus driver for Great Salt Bay for a short time. Later, he volunteered for Meals on Wheels and as well as for Miles Memorial Hospital from 1998 to 2005. Charlie also was a cancer survivor.
He is predeceased by his wife, Vera (Steur) Kemp, who passed in May 1995; brothers, John, Fred, Richard and James Kemp; and sisters, Eva (Kemp) Richards, Olive Kemp, Pearl (Kemp) Lull, and Gladys (Kemp) Clarke.
Charlie is survived by sisters, Elizabeth (Kemp) Manning and husband James Manning of Dallas, Tex., and Phyllis (Kemp) Webster of West Boylston, Mass.; sister-in-law, Marie (Steur) Kemp of Worcester, Mass., wife of Charles’ deceased brother Richard Kemp; daughter, Deborah (Kemp) Anderson and husband Edwin Anderson of South Bristol; son, Gregory J. Kemp and wife Carol (Dumas) Kemp of Leicester, Mass.; five grandchildren, Christina DeJohn of South Bristol, Brian Anderson of North Grosvenordale, Conn., Scott Kemp of Massachusetts, Sarah (Kemp) King of Massachusetts, and Jeremy Kemp of Topsfield; and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial services to celebrate Charlie’s life 12 p.m., Sat., March 7 at the Union Congregational Church in South Bristol.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America would be appreciated: 1-866-232-8484.
