Gregg Kemp Obituary

Gregg Dailey Kemp

July 4, 1947 – February 7, 2016

Durham, NC

Gregg Dailey Kemp was born on July 4, 1947 in High Point, NC to Emily B. Kemp and the late Dr. Ramey F. Kemp. He grew up in Mocksville, NC and graduated from Davie High School in 1965. He attended Virginia Commonwealth University, graduating in 1974, and later was awarded graduate degrees from Florida State University and the University of NC at Chapel Hill. He also studied Serbo-Croatian at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center as part of his service in the US Air Force.

Although Gregg was a working visual artist throughout his adult life, he also held professional positions, first in libraries, and then as an instructional designer and applications programmer at SAS Institute in Cary, NC.

Gregg’s artistic endeavors were varied. But it was photography, especially pinhole photography, which became his lifelong passion. In his own words, “I became totally hooked on the endless possibilities for the design and construction of cameras and the variations in photographs these cameras could produce.” He never found an end to the possibilities. Gregg’s photographs were exhibited nationally and internationally. Several are included in permanent collections. An extensive portfolio of his work can be viewed on his web site, greggkemp.com

Gregg was a founding member of Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day, an international event held annually on the last Sunday of April. His other contributions to the pinhole community included conducting pinhole photography workshops and the creation of the Pinhole Visions web site.

During his struggle with cancer, Gregg’s courage and fortitude were an inspiration to all who knew him. Gregg died peacefully in his home in Durham on February 7, 2016 with family and friends by his side. He is survived by his wife Carmela D. Kemp, his mother Emily Betts Kemp, his brother Ramey F. Kemp, Jr. and wife Julie Hill Kemp, and his nieces and nephews. Gregg’s family would like to thank all the wonderful health care providers who supported them throughout this difficult time. There will be a celebration of Gregg’s life at the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall on Saturday, March 12, 2016 at 10:00AM. Light refreshments will follow. All who knew and loved Gregg are invited. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Patient Access Network Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting the chronically ill with out-of-pocket costs. More information is available at pan foundation.org