Jay B. Kemmerer, 88, of Davenport, Iowa passed away Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at the Davenport Lutheran Home.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 27th at St. John’s United Methodist Church, Davenport. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service. Memorials may be directed to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Jay was born September 22, 1937 in Webster City, Iowa the son of Atty. Wayne and Helen (Brandt) Kemmerer. He was soon joined by a brother, Charles, and sister, Linda. The family moved to Oelwein, Iowa, where the children grew up with the added love of their Aunt Helen and Uncle John Lang.

Jay attended Parsons College where he achieved his degree in business administration. While in college, Jay met his future bride, Diane F. Diedrichsen. They were married on June 18, 1960 in LaGrange, Illinois. Their marriage was blessed with two children, Linda Carol and James Jay.

Jay worked as an independent sales engineer. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, biking, and gardening. His memberships included Rotary, Methodist Men, Master Gardeners, AKC, and various hunting and fishing clubs. Jay was also a lifelong fan of the Green Bay Packers and St. Louis Cardinals.

Those left to honor his memory are his wife of 66 years, Diane Kemmerer of Davenport; children, Linda (John) Higgins of Longmont, Colorado and Jim (Kara) Kemmerer of Eldridge; grandchildren, John “JP” Higgins, Erin Higgins, Tierney Higgins, Brandt Kemmerer, Evie Kemmerer; step-granddaughter, Kylie (Tyler) Radosevich; siblings, Linda Moore and Chuck (Vi) Kemmerer; and special friends, Royal Becker and Kathy Topalian.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother-in-law, Gene Moore; niece, Anne Marie Moore; nephew, Daniel Kemmerer; aunts and uncles, John & Helen Lang, Charles & Eileen Brandt.