Charles Alexander "Alex" Kemp, 55, of Tifton passed away Monday, May 24, 2004, at his home. His funeral service was held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, May 27, 2004, at Tifton's First Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Wayne Roe officiating. Mr. Kemp was laid to rest at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Glenn Kirbo, Judd Vann, Chaney Robinson, Ken Beverly, William McDonald, Russell Armistead, Monty Veazey, Scott Veazey and Dr. Vardemon Buckalew served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were Butch Davis, Gary Vowell, Larry Creamer, Tim Barnes, Tommy Cottle, Gary Simmons, Donald Shirah, Sandy Sims, Johny Veazey, Dr. William Hancock, Dr. John Dorminy, Trustees of Tift Regional Medical Center, deacons of Tifton's First Baptist Church, all boys from the 10th-grade Sunday School Class at Tifton's First Baptist Church for the past 15 years, members of the board of directors of South Georgia Banking Company and members of the board of directors at Tiftarea Academy.
Born June 25, 1948, in Mitchell County, Mr. Kemp was the son of the late Charles Kemp, Jr. and Gertrude Collins Kemp. He received an Associate of Arts degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in 1968. He received a Bachelor of Science, Environmental Health in 1972, both from the University of Georgia. He then received a Masters of Public Health, Medical Care Administration from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana in 1973.
Mr. kemp served from 1970-1976 in the United States Air Force Reserve and retired with an honorary discharge.
Mr. Kemp began his career as a Health Statistics Research Specialist and advanced to Executive Director of Southwest Georgia Health Systems Agency. He was responsible for health planning activities in the health service area from 1976 until 1979. He was the youngest executive director in the United States during this time.
From 1979 until the present, he was owner and CEO of of health Systems Management, where he developed, constructed and managed freestanding dialysis facilities in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Mr. Kemp had been a dedicated member of Tifton's First Baptist Church since 1988, serving on the Board of Deacons, Finance Committee, Personnel Committee, Benevolence Committee and faithfully taught 10th-grade boys Sunday School for the past 15 years. Throughout his life, Mr. kemp exemplified a sincere dedication to his God and his family.
Mr. Kemp was actively involved in his community, where he served on the Tift Regional Medical Center Board of Directors and had served as Finance Committee Chairman from 1994 until now. He also served on the South Georgia Banking Company Board of Directors, Tiftarea Academy Board of Directors and was Chairman of the American Heart Association Heart Walk 2002-2003. In addition, he served on the Board of Directors of GPO, national Renal Administrators Association, ESRD Coordination Council of the Southeast and Tri-Rivers Waterway Development Authority.
Mr. Kemp is survived by his wife of 34 years, Sandra Sumner Kemp of Tifton, whom he married on September 20, 1969; one son, Charles Alexander Kemp, II of Macon; one brother and sister-in-law, Harry Lee and Melanie Kemp of Camilla; one sister and brother-in-law, Bobbie Ann and Lamar Allen of Savannah; his mother-in-law, Louise Sumner of Tifton; two brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Dale and Telie Sumner and Daryl and Sherrie Sumner, all of Tifton; and his nephews and nieces, Troy Allen of Savannah, Lee Ann Kemp of Oxford, Mississippi, Charles Kemp of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Jame and Hannah Sumner of New Orleans, Louisiana, Tee and Joe McSpadden of Wilmington, North Carolina, Andy Sumn3r of Charlotte, North Carolina and Blake Sumner of Atlanta.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Tift Regional Medical Center Foundation, P. O. Box 747, Tifton, GA 31793; or to Tiftarea Academy, P. O. Box 10, Chula, GA 31733; or the American Heart Association, 3338-L Country Club Road, PMB 305, Valdosta, GA 31605.