Sarah Allie Kemp

Obituary
Sarah A. Qualls Kemp passed away at home on Monday, August 7, 2023, with her beloved husband and family by her side.
Sarah was born April 24, 1949 in Florala, Alabama to Dutch and Merle Qualls. She grew up with her four sisters in Laurel Hill, Florida, attending Laurel Hill School, where she made many lifelong friends.
Sarah's life changed drastically in 2018 when she became paralyzed by a stroke. Prior to that, Sarah was a vibrant, active, athletic woman who enjoyed life and doted on her children and two granddaughters. She met Jerry Kemp when she was seventeen and married him one month later; a marriage that lasted fifty-seven years, with Jerry by her side as her faithful caregiver after her stroke. Together, they raised their three boys in the different places they lived, from Homestead Air Force Base to Orlando and back to Laurel Hill and Crestview, with short stints in other places from Las Vegas to North Carolina. Wherever they went, Sarah adapted easily to whatever situation life dealt her. She was always able to get a job and contribute to the family while being a wife and mother. Sarah worked as everything from cashier to apple inspector, to working in the office for Kemp Brothers Construction, and cooking for the Ranger trainees at the Camp Rudder where she endeared herself to many. She could do anything she set her mind to.
Sarah loved watching all sports and participating in many. She loved to snow ski when she got the chance, and at different times, she was on the Laurel Hill women's softball team and a Crestview bowling league. Sarah loved racing cars, a passion that she shared with Jerry and their sons, Steve and Shawn. She kept the Southern Raceway in Milton hot with her car "85" hanging with the best of them. She and Jerry loved NASCAR. They rarely missed NASCAR Sundays on television and traveled to the races when possible. Sarah was a huge Jeff Gordon fan and had an impressive collection of Jeff Gordon memorabilia. Sarah loved snorkeling and some of her favorite times were the years spent camping in Port St. Joe with family searching for scallops in the bay.
From the time they were born, Sarah spent all the time she could with her granddaughters, taking them everywhere with her and spoiling them in every way possible. She was a loving and beloved "Baby" to Jerry, "Nana," "Mom," "sister," "sister-in-law," and "Aunt Sarah." She had many friends and family, and her outgoing personality made an impact with everyone she encountered through life and work. Even after surviving her stroke, she retained her memory and her "spunk" that pulled her through difficult times.
Sarah is preceded in death by her parents, Dutch and Merle Qualls; sisters, Bobbie Jane Simmons and Annie Maude "Maudy" Carper; and brothers-in-law, Ronnie Childs, Gene Simmons, and Billy Simmons. She is survived by her husband of fifty-seven years, Jerry Kemp; sons, Steven Kemp, Jerry Kemp, Jr., and Shawn Kemp and wife, Jennifer; granddaughters, Savannah and Jerilyn Kemp; sisters, Gladys Simmons and Dianne Childs; sisters-in-law, Shelia Locke, Kathy Kemp, and Terry Kemp; and brothers-in-law, Quentin, Charles, and Keith Kemp, and Thomas Carper; as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, and extended family members.
Visitation will be held in the chapel of Davis-Watkins Crestview Memmorial, 492 East Pine Avenue, Crestview, Florida on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. Memorial Service officiated by Don Cadenhead will take place at 6:00 p.m.
Arrangements are entrusted to Davis-Watkins Crestview Memorial Funeral Home.