Maurice Kemp Jr.

Maurice “Maury” Kemp Jr., age 90, passed away peacefully in Bozeman, MT on Wednesday, Feb 8, 2023 with his loving wife Susan by his side. Born Aug 22, 1932 in Allentown, PA to Dr. Maurice and Lillian Kemp, Maury grew up in Allentown with his half-brother Bob Kratz and half-sister Phyllis Kratz (Hardy).

Maury attended St. Andrews Prep school in Delaware where he starred in 3 sports earning MVP honors in basketball and the Hutton Prize for highest batting average on the baseball team in his senior year of 1950. He then attended Princeton University, and in a 5 day span in June, 1954, graduated from Princeton, married Susan Sheldrick in Princeton and was commissioned into the Navy. He trained as a pilot in the Navy which took him to Pensacola, FL, Hutchinson, KS, San Diego, CA, and finally Honolulu, HI. He served 4 years in the Navy as a pilot flying P2Vs and spent 14 more years in the Navy reserve, retiring as a Lieutenant Commander. Maury moved to Palo Alto, CA in 1958 and attended Stanford Law School, graduating in 1961. He spent the next 40 years as an attorney in downtown Palo Alto specializing in criminal defense early on and then family law and estate planning later. After his first marriage ended in divorce, he married Susan Sylvester Kemp on October 15, 1971, in Palo Alto, a relationship that lasted over 50 years until his passing. Maury and Susan moved full time into their vacation home in Hidden Valley Lake, CA in 2001 and he opened a law practice in nearby Middletown. They moved to Bozeman, MT in 2018.

As an attorney, Maury was known as a formidable advocate for his clients, and he was also active in his community. He coached and umpired in Palo Alto Little League and was involved in the Optimist Club, becoming President of the Palo Alto Chapter and Vice President of Optimist International. He was passionate about golf, running (he completed 17 marathons), bridge, and Bay Area sports teams and was a long-time season ticket holder of the 49ers and Stanford football. Maury also loved his dogs, and had several Weimaraners over the years.

Maury will be sorely missed and is survived by his wife Susan Kemp, daughter Audrey Kemp and her husband Robert Dahlberg, son Jon Kemp and his wife Cora Kemp, stepson Gray Thornton and his wife Reneé Thornton, stepdaughter Elizabeth Wilmore and her husband Jeffrey Wilmore, grandchildren Lauren Kemp, Andrew Kemp-Dahlberg, Lexie Kemp-Dahlberg, and step grandchildren Emily Wilmore and Madeline Wilmore.