In Memoriam : Troy Kemp
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Troy Kemp - age: 93
(November 02, 1923 to October 24, 2017 ) Resident of Visalia, California Visitation Information: Graveside Services will be held on Friday, October 27, 2017 at 10:00 am at the Exeter District Cemetery. Obituary: Troy Kemp was born on November 2, 1923 in Cederville, Arkansas to Windom Lewis Kemp and Mattie Jane (Hay) Kemp. He left here at 6:15 a.m. on October 24th, the result of a call from above, as they needed a fourth for a 7:00 tee time. He was raised in Arkansas until moving to California in 1941. He went to work in the shipyards of Alameda, before receiving his Merchant Seaman card and joining the Merchant Marines where he spent the next 10 years of his life. During the period of May 1943 to April 1945, he sailed under the United States Coast Guard flag in support of the war effort in the pacific theatre, delivering goods and supplies, receiving an Honorable Discharge. During his years as a Merchant Marine, he had the opportunity to visit many interesting ports including Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, and Australia to mention a few. On his port of calls in San Francisco, he would travel to Farmersville, California where he had numerous relatives. On one of these visits, he met his future wife, Virginia Lay. They were married on April 1, 1951 and spent the next 58 years together until her passing in 2009. After their marriage, he made one last ocean voyage, before giving up the sea to start a life as a husband and family man. Troy and Virginia settled in Farmersville, where they started a family. He went to work for The Southern California Gas Company in Visalia where he spent the next 30+ years of his life, retiring in 1985. In additional, he was a part-time farmer. Troy was very active in the community having been involved in Little League, the development of city parks, and served on the Farmersville School Board for many years promoting a strong educational system for the youth of the community. Troy loved the outdoors, especially the mountains, and playing golf. He loved spending time with his children and later his grandchildren. He was a member of Calvary Worship Center in Visalia, and loved spending time with his extended “Church Family”. Troy is survived by two sons, Phil and his wife Tammi of Visalia, and Rod and his wife Lisa of Banning, CA. He is also survived by four grandchildren, Jeremy Kemp (Jennifer) of Visalia, Joshua Kemp (Monica) of Oakdale, CA, Heather Worby (Ben) of Peachtree, GA, and Erich Kemp (Shannon) of Rancho Cucamonga, CA. In addition, he is survived by five great-grandchildren, Brendon Kemp, Davin Kemp, Ella Worby, Olivia Worby, Brantley Kemp The family would like to extend their thanks to Troy’s extended church family for their support, love and prayers, to Dr. Russell Dounies, Dr. Boyd Johnson, all the nursing and medical staff at Kaweah Delta Medical Center, especially the ER Unit, and to the staff at Westgate Gardens. 
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