John B. Kemper

John Bernard Kemper died on July 25, 2019. He was 97 years old. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he moved his family to Midland, Michigan in 1964. He relocated to Grand Rapids in 2013. He began his working career at a young age with a delivery route for the Cleveland Shopping News. Later, his accounting career started at the Dobeckmun Company in Cleveland. When Dobeckmun was purchased by the Dow Chemical Company, he transferred to Dow headquarters in Midland. He retired with 35 years of service. He married his high school sweetheart, Anne Gibbons, and celebrated their 73rd anniversary before her death. He and his “bride” traveled widely in the US, Canada, Europe and Russia. He relished driving the narrow European streets and mountainous roads. During WWII he served in the Army Air Force as a gunnery instructor for the B-17, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. He flew to Washington DC with Dow’s Honor Flight program and proudly wore the “Dow Veteran” cap he received on that trip.

An accomplished draftsman and carpenter, he designed and built many home improvement projects. He was an aviation enthusiast and long-time member of EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association). He enjoyed sailing on Lake 13 in Clare County. He spent untold happy hours walking the wooded trails on his property. He put his children through college and encouraged them in all their endeavors. He taught accounting courses for Dow’s outreach program and at Delta College. He worked as the accountant for several private businesses in Midland and served as Treasurer for nearly every

organization he joined. Known for his wisecracks and jokes, he helped family and friends laugh through good times and bad. He was generous and honest. He will be missed. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Anne, and his son-in-law, Peter N Blount. He is survived by his daughter, Anne Marie Blount; his son, John Michael (Donna); his brother, Leonard (Rose Mary); and his nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be on Friday, August 2, 2019 at 11 AM at the Basilica of St. Adalbert (654 Davis Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504)