On the afternoon of Friday, January 17th Kemp Dwenger passed away peacefully in Denver Colorado with his children, Tim and Kendra, by his side.
Kemp Dwenger
While Kemp had called Denver home since 2016, he was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1929 to George H. Dwenger and Mary Louise Alexander and grew up with his brother Sandy in the Northern New Jersey town of Montclair. Kemp is survived by his son Tim, daughter Kendra, and granddaughters Story, Havyn, and Payton who all miss him dearly.
While Kemp didn’t particularly love his chosen college of Oberlin, his future was shaped by an opportunity to spend his junior year in Paris which sparked an interest in a career in international business. Throughout his life, Kemp frequently shared stories of his time in France living on the banks of the Seine. He was introduced to French wine and cuisine and spent all the time he could traveling through Europe with friends. Right up until the end he took particular pride in an evening he spent sharing several bottles of wine with Ernest Hemingway in Italy.
Upon graduation, Kemp took a job in New York with Sylvania (later known as GTE) where he spent the next thirty years working his way up to a senior Vice President role where he was in charge of many of the companies manufacturing facilities around the world. He may well have overseen the manufacturing of the TV you watched, or the lightbulbs that illuminated your home, in the 70s or early 80s. This role gave him the opportunity to travel to the farthest reaches of the globe where he forged lasting relationships with colleagues who became friends.
In 1980 Kemp fulfilled a lifelong dream when he had a home built on the shores of Lake George in the Adirondack Mountains of New York—the same lake where his parents had met more than 60 years before. The home was a safe haven away from the fray of everyday life for Kemp as he took advantage of all the lake has to offer and got to share the beauty of the region with his family. In an effort to help preserve the experiences he loved for generations to come, Kemp was actively involved in the Lake George Association, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the lake’s crystal clear waters. He firmly believed that education was key to the success of the LGA and the family is thrilled to say that the LGA is going to dedicate the captain’s chair of their Floating Classroom to Kemp this Spring. The Kemp Dwenger Captain’s Chair will help share his passion of preservation with young people for years to come.
Kemp suffered a major stroke in 2011 and he and his wife of more than 40 years, Sandy, moved to the Boston area to be near Kendra and her husband Chris. In 2013 Kemp developed a special new smile when two of his three granddaughters were born—Story to Tim, and Havyn to Kendra. After a whirlwind of a 2015 that saw Sandy pass on shortly before Kendra gave birth to his third granddaughter Payton, Kemp pulled off an inspiring final act when he left the East Coast to live in Colorado where he spent four very comfortable years near Tim, his wife Lindsay, and Story. He renewed his interest in the performing and culinary arts as he ate at many of the region’s best restaurants, saw hit musicals such as Hamilton, and even attended a concert at Red Rocks. His was a life well lived!
Kemp did not want a memorial service as he recently celebrated his 90th Birthday with family and friends of more than 60 years and he and his family agreed this was the best celebration of life anyone could ask for. Those who wish to make memorial contributions may donate to the Lake George Association in his memory.
Make a Special Donation to the LGA In Memory of Kemp Dwenger.