Mary Jean "MJ" Kempf

Born February 25, 1943, in Athens, Ohio to Carl and Anne Kempf, MJ grew up in Smyrna, Georgia and attended St. Pius X Catholic High School and St. Joseph’s School of Nursing. After serving as a nurse at St. Joseph’s, she married and devoted herself to her four children.

Later in life, MJ earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in sculpture and painting and began a successful career as a professional artist. She founded and managed her own art and antiques business, Porte de Provence. Dividing her time between Atlanta and her home in Southern France, MJ was an incredibly prolific and accomplished painter. By sharing her unique talent and creativity with hundreds of patrons, she was able to spread her endless “joie de vivre” and passion for all things beautiful.

MJ will be greatly missed by her four children: Jennifer Rich Jacobs (Bryan), Marilyn Rich, Kristen Rich Heller (Rob) and William Rich Jr. (Elsa), and her eleven grandchildren. She is also survived by her loving siblings Richard Kempf (Maurice), Marilyn Kempf (Jonathan) and Robert Kempf (Virginia) and their families.

A funeral mass will be offered at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16 at the Cathedral of Christ the King, 2699 Peachtree Road, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30305.

Friends and family wishing to honor her artistic legacy are invited to make a charitable donation to The High Museum of Art, Attention: Aishah Davis, [email protected], In Memory of Mary Jean Kempf, 1280 Peachtree St., NE, Atlanta, GA 30309.