Randy sports his Jesus T- shirt while on a family outing. Peggy said Matthew 14:16 might best sum up Randy’s philosophy on life.
“But Jesus said unto them, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them
Randy and David, his youngest son, enjoy the Gulf Coast at the beach.
sleeping bag and a bag of warm food to a homeless man who he hap- pened to stumble upon during one of his morning walks around the Capitol area; he gave his saved and stashed “motorcycle fund” money to a young single mom so that her kids could have Christmas presents; rotated calling various older relatives on his drive home every day — including his sisters, sister-in-law, and Peggy’s step-dad; taught basic car/ home maintenance skills to the young man who lived next door because the young man had no one to teach him those things while growing up. Te stories shared with the family, they said, while they were mourn- ing his death are far too numerous to share all of them. “He found a way to live his convictions in an unassuming, humble
manner, and in ways that I’m still hearing about,” Peggy said. “I didn’t realize until the services that he left an impact on so many
people,” David said. “I was surprised by the outpouring of appreciation for him.” ‘Hey, I know that guy’ Randy made numerous contacts throughout his career of newspaper
work, volunteering and community involvement. “He could see anybody and just talk to them,” David remembered while he affectionately shook his head. “We couldn’t go anywhere in a couple-state area without Dad stopping to talk with people.”
something to eat.’” After his death, the family said they learned about numerous stories about Randy selflessly helping others. They heard about him giving clothes and a warm sleeping bag to a homeless man he ran into, and sharing his “motorcycle fund” money with a single mom who needed funds for Christmas.
Peggy chimed in and said, “Couple of states? We were walking on the beach one day in Florida and Randy saw this gentleman and he said, ‘Hey, I know that guy. I can tell by the way he is walking.’” Peggy said Randy approached the man he recognized and they talked for quite some time. “We could go somewhere and he would know someone,” David added. Te Gulf Coast was the Kemp’s annual vacation destination until just a couple of years ago, when their oldest son Jeremy moved to Auckland, New Zealand. “He could talk to anybody,” David reiterated. “On the way to the beach in Pensacola one day with the family, Dad was wearing his ‘Jesus’ shirt and just off the street struck up a conversation with a stranger who noticed his shirt and commented on it.” Te two spoke for more than several minutes. “We had to pull him away,” Peggy said with a slight chuckle as she
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Randy has some fun on a road trip with the family. COUNTY LINES, WINTER 2012
Randy shows off a big bass with Jeremy, his oldest son. Jeremy now lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with his wife Leslie and their two children — Corin, 3, and Ethan Randel, two months.
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