Christine “Chris” Cochran Kemp
KEMP, COCHRAN, FROYD, HOUSKA, RYAN, BROWN, FARR, JOHNSON, IDE
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 4/3/2023 at 09:06:38
Christine “Chris” Cochran Kemp passed away peacefully on March 23, 2023 at the University of Iowa Hospitals. She was 87 years old.
Born Christine Lillian Cochran on April 19, 1935, in Coin, Iowa to J. Richard “Dick” and Elenore Froyd Cochran, she was the oldest of five siblings. When she was 10 years old the family moved to Newton, Iowa. They enjoyed numerous family camping trips, travels to New England states, Colorado and the Rocky Mountains and the Northern Peninsula of Michigan, much of which was immortalized in photos taken by Dick.
Chris’s intellect and dynamic personality led to many varied achievements. While at Newton High School she won numerous Iowa State Debate Championship awards in both debate and extemporaneous speaking. Chris was the first Newton High School student to be awarded the Maytag Scholarship and chose to attend Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. There she received her Bachelors of Arts in Speech Correction with teacher certification.
During college Chris was a member of the debate team, Delta Sigma Rho, national honorary public speaking fraternity, and was crowned Homecoming Queen. She married fellow student, David Nicholas “Nick” Ryan in 1957. After a two year stay on the east coast, the couple settled back in Grinnell. They had four children, Meaghan, Lisa, Julia and David.
While living in Grinnell, Chris served as coach of the Grinnell College debate team for 10 years, was a substitute teacher, a census worker and heavily involved in the League of Women Voters. In 1974 she became the first woman elected to the Grinnell City Council. As Chairperson of the Low-rent Housing Agency, she was instrumental in the construction of the city’s first low-rent housing units, an achievement of which she was very proud. Throughout many of these years she was a competitive tennis player in both singles and doubles. Chris and Nick were married until 1975.
After relocating to Iowa City, Chris married Robert “Bob” Kemp in 1976 which brought two step-children, Valerie and Stephen, into her family. Christine worked as Coordinator for the Johnson County Blood Donor program from 1978 until her retirement in 1993. She and Bob were both actively involved in a variety of volunteer positions with the local Johnson County democrats, including caucus hosts. Together they also enjoyed playing tennis, gardening, couples bridge with friends and traveling.
Chris and Bob had the opportunity to live overseas in several different countries. They loved including family and friends in these experiences, hosting visitors and sharing adventures in Ireland, England, New Zealand, Malaysia, Malta, Portugal and Crete. This warm hospitality extended to family and friends at home, with the hosting of marvelous gatherings, including memorable family holiday celebrations.
An avid reader, Chris looked forward to a stack of new reads each week. Her strong competitive streak, especially in playing Bridge, continued until the end. She enjoyed and valued the camaraderie of her bridge group friends and was looking forward to her Bridge & Lunch group starting up again next month.
Christine is survived by daughters Meaghan Houska (husband Mike), Lisa Ryan, son David Ryan (wife Melissa) and son-in-law David Brown, stepdaughter Valerie Kemp, stepson Stephen Kemp (wife Janet), and her five grandchildren - Sam and Johanna Houska, Bailey and Caitlin Ryan, and Elenore Farr. Her surviving siblings are Jo Johnson, Judy Ide (husband David), John Cochran (wife Bette) and Sarah Cochran.
She was preceded in death by her husband Bob, daughter Julia Ryan Brown, Valerie’s partner Kevin Snyder and her parents.
Christine will be buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Fairfield, Iowa, alongside her parents. A memorial service will be held at a later date
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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