Donald Kemper Jr.

Donald Huber Kemper Jr passed away peacefully surrounded by family on February 14th, 2023, in Kettering, Ohio. He was 87 years old. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Sue, his sons Scott Kemper (Cathi) of Lansing, Illinois, and Chad Kemper (Jennifer) of Phoenix, AZ, his daughter, Jane Kemper Skipper (Andrew) of Springboro, Ohio, his nephew Robert Brown (Lisa) of Nashville, Tennessee, and grandchildren, Jennifer Del Real (Jerry), Zachary Vision, Caroline Kemper, Mia Vision, Samuel Kemper (Lisa) and William Skipper. He was preceded in death by his father, Donald H Kemper Sr., his mother Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Creighton Kemper, his sister Karen Katz, and his grandson, Seth Patrick Vision.

Don was born December 14th, 1935, in Dayton, Ohio, and by 1945 the family settled in Kettering Ohio in a house on Adirondack Trail, overlooking Dayton Country Club (where Don’s love of golf was born) that was designed by his grandfather and owned by his mother until her death in 2004. He attended Fairmont High School, but graduated from Lake Forest Academy, outside of Chicago in 1954. After two years at Miami University, Don decided to serve his country in the US Army and spent the next three years stationed in Tokyo, Japan and then in Hawaii, serving in Honolulu during Hawaii’s statehood celebration in 1959. After the Army, Don enrolled at THE Ohio State University, joined Sigma Chi Fraternity, and graduated in 1961 with a degree in business. After graduation, Don went to work for his father’s advertising agency, The Don Kemper Company, where he learned the media business and worked with some of the biggest brands in the country on their advertising campaigns.

After dating for a few years, Don would marry the love of his life, Clara Sue Spangler on December 30th, 1968. In 1970 Don joined COX Enterprises, working in the sales department of WHIO-TV. For the next 30 years, Don and Sue lived in Kettering, Ohio, raising a family, working hard, and playing a lot of golf! Don became a fixture in the Dayton media scene, working with wonderful people and clients that became lifelong friends, retiring in 2000 from WHIO as Station Manager. In between being a devoted husband, father and executive, Don loved playing golf at Dayton Country Club (and anywhere else in the world he could get a tee time) with friends and family every chance he could get. He was a single digit handicap for most of his life, and a two-time Club Champion at DCC (and a three-time Club Champion at Dataw Island Club in SC), but most importantly he just loved the challenge, comradery, and competition that golf provided.

After retiring, Don and Sue moved to Dataw Island, SC where they were guaranteed a 12-month golf season. They spent the next 22 years enjoying their well-deserved retirement, traveling the country and the world, playing golf, hosting family and friends when they’d visit the Lowcountry, playing golf, making great new friends in South Carolina, playing golf, worshipping the Lord with their Parish Church of St. Helena family, playing golf, visiting kids and grandkids all over the US, and of course playing golf.

It was good life filled with, what the Apostle Paul called, the Fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Don loved Jesus, his family, his work, his country, his friends, and the feeling of sinking a 8-foot putt to win a ten-dollar Nassau. He was a true original who will be missed by many, but as he often said when leaving a room…” As one hat said to another, I’ll be seeing you on ahead.” Thank you, Don, for a life well lived.

A celebration of Don’s life will take place sometime in the Spring in Dayton and Dataw Island and the family will update friends with the details. Donations can be made in Don’s honor to Young Life Beaufort, SC. P.O. Box 1885, Beaufort, SC 29901