Oct. 30, 1938 – Dec. 7, 2019

NATCHEZ — Charles C. “Butch” Kempinska Sr., 81, died peacefully at his Natchez home on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Butch was born on Oct. 30, 1938, in Natchez, the son of Charles C. and Shirley Newman Kempinski(a).
Regarded as one of the best baseball and football players to ever hail from Natchez, Butch was an outstanding all-around athlete. Butch graduated from Natchez High School in 1956, and was recruited by the legendary Tom Swayze to play baseball and football at Ole Miss.  Butch concluded his college football career for the Rebels as a starter on the 1959 team, during the John Vaught coaching era. This team was voted the SEC Team of the Decade and is regarded as one of the best teams in SEC history.
He went on to play professionally for the Los Angeles Chargers in the inaugural 1960 season of the American Football League before returning to Natchez to begin a 38-year career in the Natchez-Adams Public School District, initially as a coach and teacher. After obtaining his master’s degree from Delta State University, he transitioned to administration, serving the Natchez community for many years. He was principal at Morgantown Junior High School (where he became known as “Mr. K”,) director of Guidance Counseling Services, principal at South Natchez High School, and finally served as the assistant superintendent of public schools for 10 years until his retirement in 1999. Always a teacher, “Mr. K” donated his body to Health Sciences Research at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
A lifelong outdoorsman, he enjoyed hunting, fishing and golfing, and was a longtime member of First Presbyterian Church of Natchez, where he served as deacon and elder.  He was a member of Kappa Alpha Fraternity while at Ole Miss and served on the board of the Mississippi High School Activities Association for many years during his career.
Butch had many outstanding achievements during his life, but his family was truly all that mattered to him. He was a loving, kind, and devoted husband, father, and granddaddy. He married the love of his life and childhood sweetheart, Judith “Judy” Frazier, on June 4, 1960. Their selfless love and devotion to each other throughout the past 59 years of marriage was inspiring, at the least, to witness and a beautiful gift from God. She was by his side until he went to be with the Lord.
He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 59 years, Judith Frazier Kempinska; three children, Charles C. “Conrad” Kempinska Jr. and wife, Jackie, of Fayetteville, Georgia, Kathryn Brown and husband, Dean, of Dallas, and Paige Stumph and husband, Brian, of Brandon; six grandchildren, Joshua and Jacob Brown, Emma Grace, Sam and Cole Stumph and Hannah Kempinska; one sister, April Kempinska Laird; and a number of nephews, nieces and cousins.
The Kempinska family would like to extend a special thank you to caregivers Tonia Robinson and Zelda Hayes, who helped care for “Mr. Charles” during his long recovery from a fall in the summer of 2018.