Maury Page Page Kemp
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Maury, born in El Paso, Texas, on November 25, 1929, to Nora and Roland Kemp, passed away on December 24, 2019.
When he was 5, his father was killed in a car accident, and his instinct to survive became evident. By the time he was 10, he was hiring kids to sell magazines, and at 16, he reconditioned and sold his first car, launching his career in the car business. He graduated from UTEP in 1951. Many years later, he was honored by his alma mater with the 1980 Business Leadership Achievement Award for the College of Business and again as Outstanding Ex-Student in 1985.
At 27, Maury, the youngest man to be awarded a Ford dealership, opened Kemp Ford in El Paso. From 1957-1992, Maury owned multiple dealerships in several states and developed an auto park in California. Through the years, Maury's interests expanded to a Cessna Aircraft dealership, the radio station XELO in Juarez, multiple oil and gas wells, real estate, The Willows luxury home development in El Paso's Upper Valley, and First Financial Enterprises which included an S&L, a bank, insurance companies, and Triangle Electric Co.
Maury and Jean (Jones), "my wife, my life, my love," were married for 63 years, until her passing earlier this year. They leave behind their children and families; daughter, Diane Morrison (Mike), children Melissa Severson (Tim) and Michael Maresca (Marqui) and great-granddaughter Molly Severson; and son, Maury Page Kemp Jr and his children, Page Kemp and Morgan Kemp.
Maury and Jean lived in and faithfully served El Paso for over 50 years. They were members of St Clements Church and belonged to Coronado and El Paso Country Club.
In 1975, they purchased their first home in Rancho Mirage, CA, where they enjoyed spending 6 months each year, running several dealerships in the Cathedral City Auto Park, creating lasting friendships, and serving the community. They attended St Margaret's Episcopal Church and belonged to Thunderbird Country Club. They were very involved with the Palm Springs Museum of Art and in 2002, were honored with the dedication of a gallery in their name.
Maury lived a full life and accomplished many things. He was a hard worker and recognized and promoted talented hard working people when he saw them. He was a risk taker and a huge giver of time and money to the causes he believed in. His book "Making It" tells his amazing story. He was known for his one-liners like "You're the best of the best!" But this one is for you, Daddy, "On a scale of 1-10, you're a lousy 29!"
The Committal Service will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, January 2, 2020, in the Grand Mausoleum of Hillcrest Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Tom Lea Institute of El Paso are greatly appreciated (https://tomlea.com/donate/)