Obituary: Col. 'C.H.' Kemp led life of service

Officially, he was Col. Clarence Henry Kemp, a U.S. Army veteran of three wars. But to those who knew him well, he was simply “C.H.”

His laid-back demeanor and perpetual smile sometimes hid the traits that made him a great leader.

He had a sense of duty. He took on whatever role was needed with the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key.
He was organized and expected action.

“It reflected a commitment to community service,” said Kiwanis Club member Vince DeLisi.
“He was a gentleman,” said Kiwanis Club member Harvey Noyes. “He was sincere, truthful and well-liked. You could tell he was a leader among men.”

Kemp, of Longboat Key, died Aug. 1. He was 94.

Born Jan. 17, 1917, in Cresco, Iowa, he graduated in 1940 from the University of Iowa, where he was a member of the wrestling team. He joined the Army in 1941 and served for four years in the Pacific during World War II. He married his wife, Margaret “Peggy” Lawson, in June 1945, in San Francisco.

Kemp served 28 years in the Army, for which he worked in transportation. His career took him through two more wars — Korea and Vietnam — before his final duty station in Washington, D.C. The Kemps moved in 1976 to Longboat Key after a friend, who was also a retired Army officer, introduced them to the area.
Kemp served as executive director of First Step of Sarasota from 1976 to 1991. But, on Longboat Key, he was best known for his dedication to the Kiwanis Club and St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church.

Edith Barr Dunn, owner and operator of the former Shenkel’s Restaurant and 37-year Kiwanian, said that Kemp became a member of the club one year after she joined. He ate breakfast at her restaurant every Sunday after Mass — he arrived only after he finished his duty of counting the day’s collections.

“Boy, did we make money,” he would say, as he ordered two poached eggs and ham.

In his more than three decades as a Kiwanian, he often served as a ticket-taker during events. Later, when he could no longer perform that role, he served in whatever capacity he could, pouring orange juice at pancake breakfasts, for example.

“There was something one-of-a-kind about him,” Dunn said. “‘Special’ is the word that best describes him.”

Kemp was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Peggy, and daughter, Bette Fitzsimmons. He is survived by his son, John Kemp, of Longboat Key; daughter, Patricia McKee, of Kensington, Md.; sister, Berenice Patten, of Waterloo; brother, Paul Kemp, of Iowa City; seven grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Services and burial will take place at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key Foundation, P.O. Box 8097, Longboat Key, Fla., 34228.