Melvin "Mel" D. Kemp, age 82, of LOFS/Crown Point, passed away October 1, 2017. He was born in Garden City, Kansas on August 31, 1935 to the late Melvin and Gladys (nee Johnson) Kemp. He is survived by his loving wife, of 41 years, Nancy (nee Zeiss) Kemp. He was previously married to the late Jean (nee Stone) Kemp and the couple adopted three children during their marriage; Christopher Kemp, Anne (Ahmed) Stowers, Martha (Keith) Jones. Mel is also survived by his sister, Joan Boyland; step children, Lloyd (Dee) Neukranz, Laura Davis, Thomas (Nancy) Neukranz; and 11 grandchildren.
He attended public school in Garden City and graduated from Washburn University of Topeka in 1957 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He was licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in 1960 by the state of Colorado. He was employed for many years as a controller and/or Financial Vice President for both private and publicly held corporations. In 1960 he was hired as an Internal Auditor by Gates Rubber Company in Denver. He left Gates in 1969 having served as the Manager of Accounting for Domestic Rubber Manufacturing Operations in Denver. During the 1970's he was the Financial Vice President of Carpetland USA which was headquartered in Munster, Indiana. It was in April of 1976 that he met his wife Nancy, who was an Executive Secretary at Carpetland USA. In 1980 he founded Mel Kemp & Associates, which offered professional business consulting services with a specialization in the retail and contract/commercial floor covering industry. He enjoyed assisting independent, locally owned floor covering enterprises succeed by establishing sound operating policies and financial controls. In 1995 he became the Executive Director of Starnet Commercial Flooring, Inc., a purchasing cooperative owned by independent commercial flooring contractors located throughout the United States. He left employment of Starnet in 2001, but continued to serve the Board of Directors in a consulting capacity for many years. His favorite employer was Meals on Wheels of NWI where he was employed in February of 2010 as a part-time van driver. He had previously volunteered, starting in 2001, to deliver meals to clients of Meals on Wheels within lakes of the Four Seasons and Winfield. He served two terms as President of the Winfield/LOFS Chamber of Commerce.
Mel, and his wife Nancy benefited greatly by being members of Bethel Church in Crown Point.
Memorial contributions may be made in Mel's honor, to Bethel Church, 10202 Broadway, Crown Point, IN 46307.
A memorial service for Mel will take place Thursday, October 5, 2017 at 10:00 am at Bethel Church, 10202 Broadway, Crown Point, IN 46307. Arrangements have been entrusted to Rees Funeral Home, Winfield Chapel. For more information, please call 219-661-2600. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.reesfuneralhomes.com.