Obit – Mr. John (Beaver) Kemp Jr.

Mr. John (Beaver) Kemp Jr., age 50 of the Rome Community was discovered unresponsive by his mother at their South Lovers Lane home at 5:55 a.m. on Thursday morning July 10, 2025 and was pronounced deceased on arrival at the Highpoint Health-Riverview Regional Medical Center Emergency Department at 8:51am. 

Arrangements for cremation at the Cumberland Family Services in Algood were made by the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home and no services for the public will be conducted.

Born John Morgan Kemp Jr., and fondly known as Beaver, on February 12, 1975 at the former Carthage General Hospital, he was one of two sons of South Carthage native Jammie Denell Mofield Kemp of the Rome Community and the late Difficult Community native John Morgan Kemp Sr. who preceded him in death on August 20, 2023 at the age of 70.

Beaver was preceded in death by his brother, Jason Matthew Kemp, who died November 12, 2017 at the age of 27 as the result of a motorcycle accident.

Two uncles also preceded Beaver in death; Robert Key Kemp who died at the age of 79 on July 11, 2018 and Ed Pharris who died at the age of 70 on June 22, 2024.

He attended Smith County High School and was a recipient of his General Education Degree.

Mr. Kemp was recently saved and shared his testimony with his mother and was of the Missionary Baptist faith.

At the home of his parents on August 15, 2003, he was united in marriage to the former Misty Dawn Bowman and the ceremony was officiated by the then Rome Baptist Church pastor, Bro. Ricky Scott.

Mr. Kemp was employed as a clerk at the Carthage Wal-Mart until declining health caused his retirement in August of 2024.

An accomplished guitarist, he was the owner of several instruments and enjoyed playing each of them.

He was an avid football fan of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. 

Surviving in addition to his wife of almost twenty-two years and his mother, is his and Misty’s daughter, Amelia Jane Kemp of the Rome Community; two aunts, Mary Belle Thompson Kemp of the Rock City Community, Sally Kemp Pharris of Red Boiling Springs; two uncles, Jeffrey Mofield of South Carthage, Floyd Allen Mofield and wife Barbara of the Popes Hill Community.

SANDERSON of CARTHAGE