Roger Dale Kemp

Roger was born at home in King City, MO on January 18, 1945. He graduated from King City High School and then briefly tried finding his fortune on the West Coast with 2 high school buddies. Their journey was short…they were back in King City in a few weeks after brief stints of employment on a dude ranch and then a farm where they hauled 500 lb loads of potatoes. They were not paid for their potato work because they were told they hadn’t worked a full week! Roger then began work as a painter at Ford Motor Company in Claycomo working 12 hour days, usually 6 days a week. His job was painting the undercarriage of cars – working in a pit with the cars rolling above him. He continued working and began college at Central Missouri State (Warrensburg). Frat life soon replaced the Ford Motor Company.

After graduation, Roger moved to the Kansas City area, working in the sales/plastics industry. He and a partner started their own company, Quality Plastics Systems and they operated that company for approximately 40 years. Roger continued working in machinery sales and also in real estate. If there was a picture in the dictionary next to the word perseverance, it would be a picture of Roger Kemp. When something didn’t go as he planned, Kathy always said “don’t they know they’re dealing with Roger Kemp?”

Kathy & Roger were married on January 27, 1979 and recently celebrated 43 years together with a day trip to Humbolt, KS (which according to the New York Times is one of the 52 ‘must see’ places in the world in 2022)!

Roger is husband to Kathy, father to Ali, Tyler, and Drew, and grandfather to precious 16 month old Alexandra Renee.

There is an old saying “behind every great man is a great woman.” Kathy says “behind every great man is a surprised woman.” Surprised in Roger’s case that he was able to do so much with a broken heart. After Ali’s death in 2002, he worked to develop The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation/TAKE Defense Program. This program has trained over 70,000 girls and women across the U.S. in personal safety/self-defense. He is a past board member of the Ad Hoc Commission Against Crime, as well as a past committee member of the Kansas Attorney Generals’ Office who reviewed and awarded grants to shelters and homes for victims of abuse.

In 2011 he received the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second highest civilian award given by the President for Roger’s development & work with the Ali Kemp Educational Foundation. Roger also worked with Lamar Advertising to create billboard campaigns to apprehend criminals – an initiative that now used by local and national law enforcement agencies. Roger’s development and work with the Ali Kemp Educational Foundation would not have been possible without Human-Being Extraordinaire Jill Leiker.

Roger was very active in his three children’s sports ‘careers’, coaching & managing teams in baseball, basketball, and soccer. He definitely had his share of frustrations, as well as winning teams.

Roger was also active in several organizations. Do any of you Leawood Rotarians remember being a part of a fundraiser that included driving a VW Beetle through the open doors of AMC Town Center as part of a raffle??

One of the things we buried with Ali almost 20 years ago was a Precious Moments Bible given to her by her Grammy & Gramps. The Bible fell open to a picture with the caption “no tears inside the gates” Revelation 21:4. We know our darling Ali was waiting on March 1st when the gates of paradise opened for her father, Roger Dale Kemp.

A gathering for Roger will be held 10:00am to 11:00am, followed by a Memorial Service at 11:00am, Friday, March 11, 2022 at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, Wesley Covenant Chapel, 13720 Roe Avenue, Leawood, KS 66224.

Please no flowers. If you wish, honor Roger with any donations to the Ali Kemp Educational Foundation, 6518 Vista Drive Shawnee, KS 66218.