Marvin ""Marv'' Kempi, 70, of Cresco, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, July 19, 2008 in the Evans Memorial Home in Cresco, Iowa after a valiant struggle with cancer. Marv was born on March 28, 1938 at home in Prairie Lake Township in northern Minnesota. He was the oldest of six children born to W. Ernest and Violet (Maki) Kempi. Marv grew up in Cromwell in 1955. He attended UMD for four years. He married Patricia Rutter from New Duluth, Minn. in 1956. The majority of his career was in the grocery management business in Northern Minn. and Northeastern Iowa, including owning a bakery in Cromwell, Minn. and his own bowling alleys in Iowa. He retired in 2006 as the club house manager of the Cresco Country Club. Marv, heckled by peers as the ""Purple Donkey,'' always enjoyed: a good joke, any sporting event, hosting family and friends, and evening suppers with his beloved wife. He was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Michael; his sisters, Susan Thieling and Sharon Kempi; and brothers-in-law, Gene Rutter and Dale Wells. He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 52 years, Pat of Cresco, Iowa; his daughter, the Reverend DeeDee (John) Haines of Dougles, Isle of Man, UK; son, Jon (Liz) of Harrogate of North Yorkshire, England; son, Ross (Debbie) of Bay Harbor Island, Fla.; four grandchildren, Angela (Sameh) Fahmy of London, England, Adam (Nicole) Wickwire of Hampton, Iowa, Megan (Greg) Tyson of Augusta, Ga., and Andrew Kempi of Augusta, Ga.; sisters Myrna Wells-Ulland (Bob Ulland) of Duluth, Minn., Debra (Rob) Switzer of Cromwell, Minn.; a brother Dan Kempi of Auburn, Wash.; a sister-in-law, Dorene Rutter of Olympia, Wash.; four great grandchildren, Andrew Tyson, Camron Tyson, Paris Wickwire, and Israel Wickwire; and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, a host of friends, and Flossie, his beloved bow-wow. MEMORIAL SERVICE: will be held on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. in the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cresco, Iowa. Friends may greet the family one hour prior to services at the church. Private inurnment will take place at a later date. Lindstrom Funeral Home in Cresco, Iowa is handling the arrangements.
This obituary was originally published in the Duluth News Tribune.
