Obituary: John W. Kemp

John W. Kemp 7/28/1920 ~ 1/31/2006 John Wilmer Kemp, 85 of North Salt Lake, Utah, passed away Tuesday, January 31st, 2006 from complications surrounding colon and subsequent liver cancer. Born July 28, 1920 in Midvale, Utah, John was one of four children, and the only son of Apollonia Josephina Lehman and Milo Kemp. John was raised in St. George, and later attended the University of California at Berkley receiving his PhD. in Physiological Chemistry. Moving to Utah in the early sixties, he became a Professor of Pharmacological Medicine and instructed prospective physicians in the MD program at the University of Utah. For over 30 years Dr. Kemp researched Epilepsy in the laboratory while teaching, and contributed significantly to the understanding of the condition, and to the body of literature surrounding the subject. He loved his work. John (Jerry to friends and family) married Lou Jean Budge of Malad, Idaho, on the 20th of June 1952 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. For over 40 years they made their life together in North Salt Lake, raising their daughters to be curious investigators of life, and servants of the Lord. They also founded a home of stability, love and learning based in complete commitment to the gospel. Jerry was beloved of all whom he met because he loved them, and comprehended their innate goodness. In return, his friends were loyal and true. He was a believer in the great worth of souls, and in the godly composition of the spirit-insatiably curious about the nature of life, and the central role of the gospel within it. Pondering gospel questions with his analytical mind was a source of pleasure to him, and he loved to share the truths and insights he discovered. He would often spend afternoons lost in conversation exploring the nature and circumstance of life, marveling at the cleverness of his Father in Heaven, deeply touched by his own fortuitous circumstance within the scheme. An intuitively wise man, John was also an intelligent, curious person who could spend hours wondering about the molecular composition of soil, or continuously marvel at the genius of two cells coming together to create a human being. He also had a remarkable sense of humor. There was literally no end to the amount of nonsense this man could invent, and everyone loved him for it. No matter what the circumstance- he had a twinkle in his eye, and a gift for finding just the right word to express the moment (even if it was invented). His family will miss him greatly, and think about him often. Jane Ann Nelson and Claire Alison Chandler, his daughters, and Max and Ian Nelson, and Colin Chandler, his grandsons, survive him. Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 4th, 2006 at 1:00 p.m. at the Orchard Third Ward Chapel, 261 East Center Street, North Salt Lake, UT 84054. Friends and family may call 11:00 to 12:45 prior to the service. Interment, Lakeview Memorial Estates, Bountiful, Utah.