Richard J. Kempa

Born Feb. 5, 1950, in Hancock, to Joseph and Delores (Cindrich) Kempa, Richard graduated from Iron Mountain High School in 1968 and the Michigan Technological University in Houghton in 1972 with a degree in mechanical engineering.

He worked as a mechanical engineer for 38 years, retiring in 2010 from the American Electric Power Plant in Rockport, Ind. However, in the 1980s, he also took on farming corn and raising hogs. Richard was a master woodsman, an expert with a chainsaw. There was no tree too big or too close to the house for him to cut down.

Richard devoted his time to his family and his Catholic faith. He was passionate about flying and built his own aircraft. In 1998, Richard had to make an emergency landing in a cornfield two minutes after takeoff from the Huntingburg airport when his magneto abruptly failed, though he stubbornly refused to call it a crash landing. Richard was a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, National Rifle Association, and the Knights of Columbus.

He was also a member of the St. Martin, St. Bernard, and St. Nicholas Catholic Churches and served as a eucharistic minister. He received the Brute Award to recognize outstanding Christian stewardship from members of the local Evansville, Ind., Catholic parishes. Richard enjoyed riding his motorcycle and made multiple rides to Washington D.C. with his motorcycle club Rolling Thunder.

Richard enjoyed gardening (he and Doris made a boatload of salsa every summer with vegetables grown in their garden), volunteering (coached PeeWee baseball in Graysville, Ind., and with Habitat for Humanity), he loved collecting and rebuilding tractors (once driving a John Deere 130 miles from Farmersburg, Ind., to Spencer County, Indiana), hunting (killing two deer with one arrow in the Upper Peninsula), trapshooting, and more. He especially loved Buddy, his fun-loving, spoiled dog.

He is survived by his loving wife of 17 years, Doris; as well as his daughter, Trisha (Keith) Kennedy of Traer, Iowa; son Rick (Laura) Kempa of Grandview; four grandchildren, Logan and Grace Kennedy and Carlee and Noah Kempa; sister Mary Jean (Jim) Nicolas of Iron Mountain; mother Delores Kempa of Kingsford; stepchildren Denise (Scott) Truelove and Deanna (Ram) Mahanand. Blessed with the love of Doris’ family, he is survived by several more grandchildren, great-grandchildren, a great-great-grandchild, nieces and nephews.

Richard was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Kempa.

A visitation will be held at Bradley’s Colonial Funeral Chapel in Boonville, Ind., on Aug. 13 from 3 to 7 p.m. The funeral service will be held at the St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Santa Claus, Ind., on Aug. 14 at 10 a.m. with visitation an hour before at 9 a.m. Burial to follow at St. Nicholas Catholic Church Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Online condolences can be made to www.bradleyscolonialchapel.com.

Bradley’s Colonial Funeral Chapel is honored to serve the family of Richard J. Kempa.