Obituary

Esther H. Kemp, 80, volunteer, golfer

Esther Hamilton Kemp, a long-time Washington-area resident, died May 2, 2008, in Jacksonville, Fla., after a short illness. She was 80.

Mrs. Kemp was born in New York City to George Johnson and Esther Hamilton. She lost her mother at age 12. When her father, a surgeon, deployed to Europe in support of the war effort in 1943, Mrs. Kemp was raised in the household of George and Helen Vaughan, of Brattleboro, Vt. She attended the Dana Hall School in Wellesley, Mass., before graduating from Vassar.

She moved to the District as a young mother in 1952 and took an active role in promoting the social and cultural growth of the city. Mrs. Kemp was a member of the Junior League of Washington and of the Sulgrave Club. She served as a docent for many years at the National Gallery of Art and always retained a high regard and critical eye for painting and sculpture. She helped develop the Art Barn in Rock Creek Park and was a longtime supporter of the Washington Home.

A member of the Chevy Chase Club for more than four decades, Mrs. Kemp was an avid and expert golfer with more than one club championship to her name. She used to laugh at being told that she “hit her irons like a man.”

A lifelong passion for bridge became more central to Mrs. Kemp’s life with advancing years. She also enjoyed cruises and other worldwide travel with friends.

Mrs. Kemp was preceded in death by brothers Morton, George and Charles. Her marriage to William C. Bennett Jr. ended in divorce. Her husband, Clinton C. Kemp, preceded her in death. She is survived by three children from her first marriage, William C. Bennett III of Foster City, Calif., Kim Bennett Rinehart of Longmont, Colo., and Douglas H. Bennett, of Alameda, Calif.; two stepchildren, Clinton Kemp of Lancaster, Pa., and Linda Kemp Couch, of Ponte Vedra, Fla.; and six grandchildren.