Obituary of Donald “Don” Kempski

Donald “Don” Kempski, 88 of Ocala, Fla., and formerly of Hammond, Ind. and Miami, Fla., passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 11, 2020 with his son and daughter-in-law at his side.

Loving father of James Kempski and Donna Darlene (Dee Dee) Kempski-Moya; grandfather of Conrad Kempski, Fabien Eiras and Carly Kempski; brother of Andzia Gomben; and beloved father-in-law of Tina Kempski. Don was a devoted husband to the late Sara (Winkle) Kempski. His parents were Adam and Sophie (Mysliwy) Kempski.

Don was a US Marine Veteran of the Korean War and was employed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Don was on duty and in charge of the flight sector during the space shuttle Challenger explosion on January 28, 1986.

Don enjoyed making others laugh and was a humorous storyteller and jokester. He was also an avid card player, enjoyed crossword puzzles and spending time with his family and friends. Don’s love of travel took him to all 50 states and 6 different countries.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, July 27, 2020, at the Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services - Ocala. There will be a limit of 10 people in attendance at the funeral home. Others can attend remotely; copy and paste this link into your browser:    https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/310172439  

Sentiments may be left online at www.hiers-baxley.com.

Private inurnment will be held at Florida National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, family suggests donations be sent to Duke Hospital (https://www.gifts.duke.edu/medpp) in memory of Donald Kempski.