OBIT: Mr. Robert Key Kemp, Age 79, Of The Kenny’s Bend Community
Mr. Robert Key Kemp, age 79, of the Rock City Community died at 5:08 p.m. Wednesday evening July 11, 2018 at his Kennys Bend Lane home after suffering an apparent heart attack. He was pronounced dead at 7:49 p.m. that evening at the Riverview Regional Medical Center E.R. in Carthage.
Graveside services were conducted Saturday morning July 14th at 11 a.m. with Bro. Jimmy Gregory officiating. Burial followed in the Thompson family lot in Section Three at Ridgewood Cemetery.
One of two sons, he was born Robert Key Kemp on January 23, 1939 in the Defeated Creek Community and was the son of Difficult Community native J. B. Kemp who died at the age of 75 on September 4, 1997 and Defeated Creek Community native Gladys Mai Anderson Kemp Butler who died at the age of 81 on March 12, 2002.
Mr. Kemp was united in marriage to the former Mary Belle Thompson on September 19, 1959. The ceremony was performed in Huntsville, Alabama by magistrate Ashford Todd.
They were preceded in death by a nephew, Jason Matthew Kemp who died as the result of a motorcycle accident on November 12, 2017 at the age of 27.
He attended Smith County High School and the East High School in Nashville and received his General Education Degree from the Smith County School System.
Mr. Kemp was an electrician by trade and for forty two years he was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
For the last thirty two years of his employment he was an electrician for Bridgestone America in LaVergne and retired on December 31, 2008.
Mr. Kemp was a fifty year plus member of the Difficult Benevolent Lodge # 451 F & A M where he has served in all the officer chairs including the Worshipful Master in 1960 and was the longtime treasurer. He was also a member of the Smith County Shrine Club, the Al Menah Shrine Temple in Nashville and was a York Rite and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason. He was also a member of the Sword of Bunker Hill.
On February 19, 1960 he was initiated at the Difficult Masonic Lodge as an Entered Apprentice Mason, passed to the Degree of Fellowcraft Mason on June 16, 1960 and was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on July 21, 1960. Bro. Donald L. Williams was the Worshipful Master and Bro. Esker Lee Butler was the secretary.
Mr. Kemp was a former member of the Ardmore United Methodist Church in Ardmore, Tennessee.
Surviving in addition to his wife Mary Belle of almost fifty nine years are their two children, David Kemp of the Riddleton Community, Kim Kemp Davis and husband Don and their two daughters, Emmy and Michelle Davis all of Hendersonville; brother, John Morgan Kemp Sr. and wife Jammie Mofield Kemp of the Flatrock Community’ sister, Sally Kemp Pharris and husband Ed of Red Boiling Springs; last surviving aunt, Ruth Kemp Anderson of Carthage; brother-in-law, Joe Thompson of Jackson, Missouri.
The family requests memorials be made in Mr. Kemp’s memory to the Shriners Childrens Hospitals.
SANDERSON of CARTHAGE
