Longtime Clinton resident, Ralph Kemp died Feb. 28, 2004, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil following a brief illness. His wife and two daughters were with him at his time of passing.

He retired in 1993 from a very successful business career in Dallas, Texas. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Whidbey Island and settled into a life of gardening, far from the hectic pace of the business world.

A Vietnam-era veteran, Mr. Kemp served seven years in Army intelligence and was honorably discharged as a sergeant in 1966. Despite his quiet and gentle way, Ralph was deeply proud of his military service.

He was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio, and attended Miami University and later earned a masters degree in business from Georgia State University. An adventurer at heart, he took advantage of numerous opportunities to travel the world and felt deeply fortunate to have visited almost every continent.

Having lived his life as a devoted husband and father, Ralph is survived by his wife of 40 years, Anneliese Maria Kemp; daughters Stella Kemp of Apple Valley California and Heidi Anderson of Washington, D.C.; and three granddaughters, Julia, Jenny and Isabel.

Visitation will be at the Visser Funeral Home in Langley on Friday, from 7 to 9 p.m.

A funeral service will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland at 11 a.m. Saturday with a burial immediately following at the Langley cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Trinity Lutheran Church for use in medical relief services for the citizens of Whidbey Island.