Joseph Henry Kempf

Joe was born in Manhattan, New York to Anna Reisz Kempf and Joseph Franz Kempf on October 4, 1940. He spent his childhood and teens in Jacksonville, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; and Indianapolis, Indiana. During his sophomore year of high school, Joe moved to Indianapolis where he attended Cathedral High School. His college years were spent at Marian College in Indianapolis which he later recalled as “four of the greatest years I have ever spent”. Joe played the starring role as the king in The King and I, the first musical ever produced on campus. He also played starring roles in The Music Man and The Crucible. Joe majored in English literature, but he spent many hours studying history, philosophy and drama. The beautiful setting of Marian College served as Joe’s poetic inspiration, a passion that he continued to craft his entire life, culminating in a published book titled, “A Fable of Fish and Other Poems---simple(-minded) and easy to read,” consisting of 100 poems that he wrote over a 50-year period. Joe earned his Master’s degree at University of Louisville and pursued Doctorate studies at Vanderbilt University. Although Joe spent much of his career in sales, his passions were poetry, singing and his church community at Messiah Lutheran in Brownsburg, Indiana. His legacy survives with his children, a myriad of poems and his commitment to the Via de Cristo men’s group. His quirky humor with gleeful laugh delighted friends and family. His spirit will be greatly missed.

Joe Kempf is survived by children, Karen Kempf, Joyce Ann Raupach, Kirsten Kempf, Christopher Kempf and Kevin Kempf; sister, Karen Kempf; grandchildren, Lucas Swisher, Joshua Swisher, Ryan Raupach, Hunter Raupach, Cameron Raupach, Courtney Raupach, Noah Kempf, Sidney Kempf, Hope Kempf, Wesley Kempf and Parker Kempf.

A Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 11:00am followed by a Memorial Service at 12:00pm at Messiah Lutheran Church (801 S Green Street, Brownsburg, IN 46112).

The Memorial Service will be available for viewing on Zoom at the following Meeting ID: 805787233. Entrance into the Zoom Memorial Service will be granted starting at 11:45am.

An Inurnment ceremony will follow at 2:30pm at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Joe’s passionate ministries:

Connection Ministries: https://connection-ministries.org/

Via de Cristo – National Lutheran Secretariat: https://viadecristo.org/