WINTHROP – Stacey Leigh Kemp, 57, died peacefully in her home with her wife, Grace Helen Brace, in Winthrop on March 26, 2023. She shared the love of both family and friends and will be dearly missed.

Stacey was born on June 9, 1965, in Boston, Mass. the second of three children born to Carl and Daryll Kemp. At a young age, her family relocated to Portland. She enjoyed spending time with her family, including her grandparents and great-grandparents, especially great-grandma Iva Curtis and gramma Banks. She also enjoyed time spent with siblings and neighborhood friends. She was an energetic, athletic youngster who loved active experiences, including skateboarding and roller skating. For her 58th birthday she requested a pair of teal roller skates, recounting her passion for skating.

Stacey learned to drive, beginning with her “Big Wheel,” of which she drove the wheels off. She began servicing and restoring vehicles, including dirt bikes, at a young age. She played four years of basketball at Deering High School, leading to a college scholarship. She continued to play as an adult in women’s leagues both in Maine and in England.

Stacey decided to leave academia after two years of college, and travel abroad to experience the world with her previous partner, Nancy Foss. She traveled and spent significant time exploring experiential learning, including Victorian restoration and adaptation; a passion for her.

Stacey had a passion for woodworking and carpentry. She was a talented cabinet maker and hardwood floor expert. The love of teaching trades to women brought her to Washington County (Downeast) Maine. She believed trades were a good skill to increase their ability to make a living wage. While there, Stacey met Grace through their advocacy for women and children, and mutual love of Border Collies. Stacey’s love of children made her a great parenting partner to Grace and her two daughters.

Stacey returned to college where she obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Maine. She taught science and technology at Old Orchard Beach High School, where was a beloved teacher to her students. Stacey’s ability to teach and support all learning styles using empathy, compassion, creativity, humor, and live demonstrations endeared her to the teens that she taught.

She then developed a successful career as a media outreach coordinator at A Family for ME, working with foster children in the state of Maine. Her commitment to permanency for older youth in care, had a huge impact on finding forever families. Stacey had a playful, fun, magical relationship with children, including her orphanage relief trips to Asia while working in the adoption field.

Stacey sought employment at UPS after her contract with the A Family for ME ended. She began her career as a seasonal package driver, something that gave her great pride and “elf-esteem.” She then was offered the opportunity to continue her career as a contingent worker for the ORION project, where she proved to all those she worked with, to be an asset to any team. Stacey was then promoted into management where she shined, with other special projects including Saturday Ground, the Ready Team and Integrad. She had great stories about delivering packages during winter storms in places like Boston, Mass.; New York City, N.Y.; and Buffalo, N.Y. She was a fearless and safe driver who was determined to deliver every package before punching out.

Stacey was promoted to the UPS management team in 2013, her latest position being the Business Manager for Rockland and Waterville. She utilized her experiential teaching style and belief that all people need to be valued within a team. Safety, service, and performance were not just words for Stacey. She strived to motivate her employees to embrace the same. She was a consummate safe driver advocate, often giving driving tips to her friends and family, emphasizing the need to get home safely to your family at the end of the day.

If you were to ask all of those who worked for or with Stacey, they would all agree that she not only talked the talk, but also walked the walk. No matter how difficult the challenge, the words, “Put me in coach” was her reply.

Stacey was a force of nature, when she did something she did it wholeheartedly and with conviction. Needing very little sleep, she had the ability to work tirelessly without complaint. She believed in treating others as equals, with kindness and respect. She helped build and renovate her family and friends’ homes, move them multiple times and fabricate elaborate art projects with her daughter Patricia. Stacey was able to pack a truck like no other, understanding spatial relations and physics. There were many art handling deliveries to New York City, N.Y. with the pickup filled beyond the cab, tarped, and ratcheted down to meet art show deadlines. Additionally, there are countless homes, gardens and hardwood floors in Maine that bear her signature artistic craftsmanship.

She had a consummate positive attitude and was an unwavering advocate for the people in her life. She saw the best in everyone. Her smile was infectious, and even under pressure, she remained upbeat and encouraging to those around her.

Stacey’s utmost priority was quality time with her family. She loved her family deeply, being affectionately known as ‘Graunty’ to her grandchildren. From the time the grandchildren were born, on their birthdays she sang a birthday song called “Zoom”, that was sung to her when she was a child. Zoom has become a birthday family tradition. She showed her love through acts of “doing.” Her additional interests were her beloved pets, woodworking, listening to music, attending live concerts, traveling, riding her motorcycle, gardening, stained glass, and cooking.

As our family says goodbye to Stacey we are reminded of her mantra, “In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. That means we have 1,440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact,” which she did.

Stacey is predeceased by her parents Carl and Daryll Kemp.

Stacey is survived by her spouse of 31 years, Grace Brace and their children, Cate Young, Patricia Brace and spouse Chris Hayden; sister, Lauren Shea and spouse Bill Shea, her brother, Bradley Kemp and spouse Laurel Kemp; grandchildren Madison, Haleigh and Aiden Young and Isla and Maisy Hayden; her dear friend Nancy Foss; and her Border Collie, Tuyet.

“One moment can change a day, one day can change a life, and one life can change the world”

~ Buddha

A summer celebration of life will take place at a location to be determined.

Arrangements have been entrusted to: Plummer Funeral Home, 16 Pleasant St., Augusta. To express condolences or share stories, please visit http://www.plummerfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Habitat for Humanity

http://www.habitat.org.

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