Helen Carol Kemp

Helen Carol Kemp passed away October 4, 2017, in Glendale.Carol is survived by her 5 children, 20 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Diane Hydorn and many loving nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard "Dick" J. Kemp; her son-in-law Dariush; her daughter-in-law Nancy and her sister, Gaye Anne Shaffer.Her family and her Catholic faith mattered to Carol above all else. This was never clearer than when she gathered dozens of relatives in her Glenoaks Canyon home each year to celebrate Christmas. Her tree was always so covered in ornaments she had received from loved ones or acquired at her favorite after-Christmas sales that the branches barely showed through.Carol was born January 8, 1929 to William H. Gorman and Sarah Helen Gorman in Sacramento. She moved to Glendale in her youth, graduating from Holy Family High School and Glendale College, where she met Dick. In 1948 they married and bought a steep hillside lot on Devonshire Lane in Glenoaks Canyon. Taking advantage of Dick's architectural training they designed and hand-built their first home, in which they raised five children. In the 1960s Devonshire was a beehive of young kids. Carol and Dick formed lifelong friendships with the families who shared "the turnaround." Carol volunteered for a multitude of causes, including the local PTA, her church, the American Field Service, and Loaves and Fishes Thrift Shop. Carol's Old West heritage inspired her lifelong can-do spirit. In 1964, with the entire hillside on fire and rapidly approaching the house, she managed to herd her brood of 5 children into the car making a successful escape. After dropping the kids off safely, she returned to the house with Dick and spent that night feeding the fire crew. At age 80, armed only with a shovel, Carol did away with a rattlesnake at her backdoor.In 1978 Carol and Dick moved to a new house further up the canyon, but Carol retained her treasured friendships with the Devonshire ladies, including Chickie, Peggy, Kathy and Agnes. It was Carol's wish to age in the house that her beloved husband had designed for their family. She was able to live out her dream with the support of caretakers Clayton, Lourdes (Lulu), Cynthia, Gabby, Maggie, Paz, Angela and Jonathan. The family thanks them from the bottom of our hearts.A funeral mass will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church in Glendale on Saturday, November 4 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Catholic Charities or the charity of your choice.