David Ira Kemp

12/13/1940 - 09/04/2025

David Ira Kemp, age 84, passed away on September 4, 2025, at his home in Middlebury, VT.

Born December 13, 1940, in New York, New York, he grew up in the Astoria and Flushing neighborhoods of Queens. He was a 1958 graduate of Flushing High School. After receiving his BA degree in 1962 from Queens College, City University of New York, he completed a MA in 1965 from Columbia University, with a concentration in policy and government. While at Columbia, he befriended a group of Chilean students, which began a lifelong love of Chile, and he lived in Santiago for a year teaching English. After graduating from Columbia, he joined the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service, based in New York City. In 1969 he joined the U.S. Department of State as a foreign service officer, initially moving to Washington, DC. His postings included San Salvador, El Salvador; La Paz, Bolivia; and Kingston, Jamaica. He served as a political officer, as well as acting consul, and manned the Department's DC-based Chile Desk, given his extensive knowledge of the country. After retiring in 1992, he continued working at the State Department as a reemployed annuitant, in particular working as a liaison to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, focusing on Central America.

While stateside in 1988, he met his life partner and future husband, John "Jack" Snyder, and they settled in Arlington, VA. The couple were married in 2016. Avid travelers, they made many trips over the years to Europe, Latin America, and Asia, and took numerous cruise vacations. A collector of antique postcards, David amassed a carefully curated museum-quality collection of cards from all over the world. In 2022, the couple moved to Middlebury, VT to be near family.

In addition to his husband, he is survived by a sister, Elinor Saler of Boynton Beach, FL, numerous nephews and nieces, cousins, and many long-time friends.

A memorial service and inurnment is planned for a later date at the National Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family requests any contributions be made to a charity of your choice.