Danny Kemp

We mourn the passing of Danny Wayne Kemp, born July 3, 1953, in Borger, Texas, and a resident of Centennial, Colorado, for 48 years. Danny was smart, resilient, creative, and exceptionally talented with his hands. A machine builder, he retired from Stolle Machinery in 2021 after a long career in the beverage and canning industry. His abilities, however, extended far beyond any job title.

Danny was a creative thinker, craftsman, inventor, and problem-solver who spent much of his working life finding solutions. When the right tool, part, or process didn’t exist, he often figured out how to make or modify one. Because so much of his work involved solving problems or creating something for a particular need, many of his achievements were never formally documented—they simply became the solution.

His mechanical curiosity extended into nearly every part of his life. Danny loved auto racing, classic cars, car shows, drag racing, dirt-track racing, NASCAR, restoration, and just about anything with an engine. He could often diagnose a problem with a car simply by listening to it. He also enjoyed welding and fabrication, fishing, target shooting, and working with his hands.

Danny appreciated things with history. He collected records, Avon bottles, and other nostalgic and legacy items, and very little he owned was simply “a thing.” Most had a history, purpose, memory, or story attached to them. He enjoyed discovering hole-in-the-wall restaurants, breakfast spots, taco shops, green chile, and a good dive joint. He also maintained a longtime interest in health, nutrition, and natural remedies.

Danny was unmistakably himself—Hawaiian shirts, dad jokes, strong opinions, and his own particular way of doing things. He approached life on his own terms. His love for his children and grandchildren was not usually expressed in traditional or sentimental ways, but they remained an important part of the life he built.

Danny shared 52 years of marriage with his wife, Sally Kemp, a partnership that encompassed more than half a century of family, change, challenges, and shared history.

He is survived by his wife, Sally; children, Danny Kemp, Joanna Kemp, and Darrel Kemp; grandchildren, Aubreanna Kemp, Kaden Kemp, Kyla Kemp, and Karsen Kemp; and brother, Roy Trimble. He was preceded in death by his father, Kenneth Kemp; mother, Elizabeth Green; brother, Charles Phillips; and sister, Dorothy Bechtold.

Danny leaves behind a lifetime of projects, ideas, collections, stories, and things he figured out along the way. Those who knew him will remember his abilities, his personality, his humor, and a man who was always distinctly and unapologetically himself.

We invite family and friends to share their memories and photos of Danny on his memorial page.