KEMPTON KEEBLE

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KEMPTON KEEBLE February 25, 1908 - March 15, 2002 On Friday March 15, 2002, Kemp Keeble died peacefully in Grace Hospital in Winnipeg at the age of 94. He leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife Florence; his son Corey; and a loving circle of relatives, friends and associates. Kemp, born in St Vital in 1908 was the youngest member of his family, and was predeceased by a brother and three sisters, all of whom had been born in England before their parents 1907 arrival in Canada aboard the SS IONIAN. After leaving school, Kemp worked for a brief period with an insurance company before joining the Marshall-Wells wholesale hardware company in 1925, serving it with dignity, diligence and integrity for fifty-one years until his retirement in 1976. His early years with Marshall-Wells took him to mining areas in northern Manitoba, flying with many of the pioneer bush pilots of the period. In 1938 he married Florence Victoria Nyberg in Port Arthur, ON. Their strong bond of marriage of over 63 years was terminated only by his death. During his many years in Winnipeg, Kemp was an active member of Crescent Fort Rouge United Church, The Royal Order of Scotland, Southwood Golf Club, the North West Commercial Travellers, United Commercial Travellers and the Granite Curling Club where he was an honourary life member of the Senators. Introduced to the Masonic Order in the early 1950s through the auspices of lifetime friend Graeme Norman, he achieved the title of Past Master of the Assinaboine Lodge in 1973. He was a devoted Member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry where he was Thrice Puissant Grand Master in 1969. He received his 33rd Degree in 1971 and was made an Active Member of the Supreme Council in 1976. He was also Past Grand Chancellor and Past Grand Marshall. Throughout his life, he demonstrated a rare ability to subordinate his personal desire or interest to a higher goal and to dedicate himself to the greater good of community and humanity, always as a team player with a strong sense of duty and a love of service to others. He is cherished as a member of a generation of Canadians of high instinct and purpose, dedicated to public welfare over personal gain, and to the ideals and cause of the common good. Service to the greater good and advancement of humanity stood foremost among his goals. He was a man known for kindness and generosity of spirit, a man opposed to pomposity, vanity, display, and opportunism. He delighted in teaching, helping and encouraging others, and gave unstintingly of his time and talents to help others shine. His sense of dedication to the human family brought him great happiness in the service of his church and the Masonic order, through which he found in return lasting blessings of companionship, and brotherhood. A man of simple tastes and quiet austerity in his private life, he enjoyed a lifelong love of sports, notably curling and golf. His respect for sports was a reflection of his personal esteem for the ideal of individuals working together as a team. Throughout his life, Kemp showed a rare ability to meet people as individuals, not as stereotypes. He was always eager to look for the divine spark in each human soul and to see the divine light in each human face. Although he was a man of high ideals, Kemp always chose the way of practicality of action in the world rather than fruitless introspection. During his final illness, he enjoyed the blessings of the love and care not only of family and friends but of health care providers on many levels. Deeply appreciative of the nurturing professional care he received from home care workers and every member of the staff at Grace Hospital, he was able to remain cheerful and of a positive disposition to the end. Able to die in peace, free now of suffering, he has left many behind who will remember him with the deepest affection and gratitude. Donations in Kemps memory may be made to the Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation, 420 Corydon Ave. Rest eternal grant unto him, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him. Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy saints, Where sorrow and pain are no more; Neither sighing, but life everlasting. A private family funeral was held on March 18, and a post-Easter memorial service for Kemp at Crescent Fort Rouge United Church is currently being planned. Date and time to be announced. NEIL BARDAL INC. 949-2200

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 23, 2002