SOUTHBURY -

KEMPF - Mary-Elizabeth (Lane) Kempf, 73, of Southbury, beloved wife of Paul S. Kempf, passed away peacefully at Danbury Hospital on Saturday, January 31, 2015. They lived in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Connecticut during their 50 years of marriage.
Beth was born in Brooklyn, NY and was the daughter of the late Irene Jeannette (Barnett) Lane and C. Edgar Lane III. She lived in Garden City, NY, throughout her childhood. She graduated from Garden City, NY, High School and earned her B.S. degree in teaching from Potsdam College (SUNY). She completed a Master's Program in Fine Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her elementary teaching in art education was done in the Elmont, NY, and Wyckoff, NJ, public schools.
She is survived by her sons, William C. Kempf, and wife, Jenny Q. Sandrof, of Santa Cruz, CA; and James D. Kempf, and wife, Karin B. Kempf, of Lititz, PA: a daughter, Catherine L. Kempf, of Ithaca, NY; and three grandchildren: Claire, Sylvie, and Peter Kempf. She is also survived by her brother and his wife, Charles & Joan Lane of Meadowbrook, PA; her brother-in-law, Alan Kempf of Ballston Lake, NY; and sister-in-law and her husband, Marcia & Mark Dyer of Prescott Valley, AZ.
She had a great love for interior design and antique collecting. Later in life she acquired a rug-hooker's wool strip cutter and never seemed to have enough time to finish all her self-designed concepts. Her work was admired by fellow rug-hookers and her advice was constantly sought to guide others to select and hook something that one could be proud of.
She loved to travel, especially cruising to Alaska, the Baltic and Eastern Mediterranean. Many driving trips were taken covering wide areas of the European continent. She also enjoyed driving trips through the Southeast, South Central, South West, Pacific, and Northwest states. National Parks, Indian reservations, and art museums were of primary interest along the way. Indian metalwork, jewelry-making, and pottery were skills she appreciated. Her last trip to Key West, FL, was symbolic of a lifelong appreciation for the solitude of sand, sea, and sunset. She frequented Jones Beach, Long Island, in her youth and it seemed never to leave her memory.
She will be missed and remembered by all whom she touched with her smile and kind words. She recognized a specific need to add seasonal themes in the Southbury Public Library foyer and reading room. Her voluntary decorative table settings and mantle displays were admired and enjoyed by both patrons and staff.

Memorials: The family requests that in lieu of flowers please make memorial donations in her memory to either the Southbury Training School Home and School Association of the Southbury Training School, P.O. Box 872, Southbury, CT 06488 or a charity of your choice.

Cemetery: Cemetery Not Applicable

Location: Munson-Lovetere Southbury

Services: There are no funeral services planned at this time

Visitation: There are no calling hours for Mrs. Kempf at this time.