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PLEASE, ONE LAST HUG

Hello. My name is Patricia Kemple. The man in the photo was the love of my life for almost 30 years. His name is Mark Kemple. He was an Airforce veteran from Vietnam War days and a Cardiac Nurse for almost 40 years. I am a Nurse as well, and we traveled as Nurses through the USA for 20 plus years together. He is survived by a stepdaughter and stepson who are both in their 40s now. Mark has 2 siblings still living- Craig his brother, and Denise, his sister.

Mark suffered his 5th stroke on October 19th, 2024. This one was a massive hemorrhagic stroke that bled into his brain stem and slowly killed him. His previous strokes were TIAs, and luckily with rehabilitation, he was able to recover and come home with me. Mark and I were like peas and carrots, or bacon and eggs. We did everything together and loved each other more deeply than I can really describe with words. Mark had this amazing smile that would light up the room and your attitude when he walked in. At 6'2" he towered over me a bit as I am only 5'2". I truly loved this as his big stature could envelop me with the best feeling hugs imaginable. His hugs and kisses always made me feel safe, loved, and appreciated. We never had much money, always struggled to make ends meet, but our devotion to each other made us feel like millionaires. All we really had was each other. Our car is 22 years old, our house we bought 3 years ago is 50 years old with a lot of issues, and we never bought brand name anything because of the lack of money. We were always okay because we had each other... now the other half of my heart is gone forever. My strength and sanity are gone, and I have no extra credit or funds to give my "bestie", my hubby, the love of my life, a decent send-off.I need funds to cover the casket and all of the burial expenses, and medical bills which are in excessive amounts.

This life with Mark is a true love story with a very tragic end. I am alone without friends or family to help me deal with all of this. I am in shock and truly devastated.How do you cope with the loss of one so dear? It's absolutely impossible to comprehend my grief.

Can you please help us with a donation? The funeral cost is $6,582 which includes casket, burial services, embalming, preparing the body, viewing x 2 hours, chaplain service, transportation of body to burial location. The marker and space provided by the VA. Thats all they cover.