BILL KEM, Class of 1965
Randolph High School
Bill Kem passed away August 21st. If you didn't know it before, Bill and his wife, Suzanne owned and ran a Gym in Ponca, Oklahoma.
William Roy Kem was born in Seattle, WA October 9, 1946. A self-proclaimed military brat, he moved around a lot and even spent 4 years in Japan. His father, Shelton Kem, was an officer in WW II and Vietnam, and his older brother, Bob Kem, helped raise younger brother “Willy”. Thanks to this, Bill learned much from his big brother and always admired him. Bill graduated in 1965 from Randolph Air Force Base High School in San Antonio, Tx, where he played football, baseball, basketball, track, played in the band, sang in the choir and madrigals as President, and was in French Club, Science Club, and Letterman’s Club, as well as playing the lead in the school musical “Down In The Valley”. He went on to University at Oklahoma State where he was a was a rated Marksman in the ROTC program, played basketball on scholarship for Henry Iba, and studied Physical Education. He met Suzanne Inciardi while she was dancing on campus, but lost contact with her for two years. Thanks to a chance meeting, they were reacquainted and started dating immediately. He gave up a spot in the Army’s Officer Candidacy School so he could get his Masters of Science and date Suzanne. They married only 6 months later on March 7th, 1970 in a small chapel in Oklahoma City, a marriage that lasted 51 years.Bill wanted to learn how to coach gymnastics, something Suzanne thought he might have a knack for, and they attended the national competition for the United States Gymnastics Federation Junior Olympics. He introduced himself to the coach representing Oklahoma, which lead to him learning to coach gymnastics with the Olympic team that summer and developing a life long friendship with Olympic Silver Medalist, Rusty Mitchell. This started a long coaching career, where he had a nationally recognized competitive program, was a member of the USA Gymnastics Federation as an instructor, and certified by their safety program as well as being a certified gymnastic coach. He was accepted into the prestigious Heart of America Gymnastic Conference, which included the highest-ranked coaches in the Midwest region and was twice voted Coach of the Year, was president of the US Gymnastics Federation for Oklahoma and Age Group Chairman for a number of years, and was published in the National Who’s Who for gymnastics coaches. He and his wife ran their Dance and Gymnastics school in Ponca City for over 50 years.Accomplishments aside, Bill was a humble, upstanding man of character and was quite involved in the community as a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Lion’s Club, brought gymnastics into schools as part of the Arts Outreach Program, and regularly participated in fund raising efforts for many organizations all over Ponca City. He worked back stage and on stage for numerous theatrical productions, mostly side by side with his wife, son and daughter. He was a devoted husband and father, constantly giving his time, love and devotion, traveling all over the state for his kids to perform, and then all over the country to support them as they gained professional careers. He was a member of the Pioneer Bible Church and Providence Baptist Church, consistently studying the Bible and being a wonderful example of Christ. “Mr Kem”. Very few people just called him “Bill”. He was a father to all. Every student he touched continued to feel the innocence of a child when they were with him, so he was forever, respectfully, “Mr Kem”. From teaching P.E. at Roosevelt Elementary in the 1970s, to substitute teaching all over Ponca City, to most recently teaching P.E. at St Mary’s Catholic School for 25 years, where he was voted unanimously by the students to speak at graduation multiple times, and, of course, coaching gymnastics at his gym - Mr. Kem molded the lives and athletics for multiple generations. He also was a stock broker for Stifel, Nicolaus & Co for ten years in the 1980s, helping many in Ponca City with their investments. He couldn’t go around town without seeing someone he knew, always waving hello and offering a hug. His family had to share him with so many people, but they never felt they were sharing him. He had plenty of love to go around. He lived such a compassionate life. He poured himself to others, making them feel special, and giving them the motivation to learn and grow, something they could carry with them the rest of their lives. He generously gave his time, his patience, his home, his money, his smile, and his huge hugs. He asked for nothing in return but always accepted homemade chocolate chip cookies and rhubarb pie. Every day of his life was meaningful; this may not have been on purpose, it just was who he was - he put others first and cared about details, and thus, someone benefited from him every day. It seems the entire town of Ponca City, and beyond, is feeling his void. May we use his memory as motivation to step up in his absence and be a “Mr Kem” to those in our lives.Bill is proceeded in death by his father, Shelton Kem, and mother, Ann, his father-in-law Nilo Francis Inciardi and mother-in-law Marj Inciardi. He leaves behind his wife Suzanne Kem of Ponca City, Ok, son, Kevin Kem of Atlanta, GA, daughter and son-in-law Cara and Rick Cassens of Ponca City, Ok and their children Scarlette and Clint (his mini-me), his brother Bob and sister-in-law Anne of Spokane, WA, siblings-in-law Marc and Pam Inciardi of Kansas City, KS, Annette and Robert Gomez of Canyon Lake, TX, and Gina and Larry Ressler of Arcadia, OK, nephews Mike and Matt Kem and Larry and Logan Ressler, and nieces Ashley Huppe, Erin Angotti and Gillian Aquino, as well as numerous cousins that all loved him dearly, including his “twin” cousin Jill who was born one day after him. Bill and Suzanne also had two unofficial “adopted” children, Cindy Watson of Ponca City, OK and Eric Chambray of Las Vegas, NV. Family was extremely important to him, and he was known for long good-byes and big hugs. He will be so missed.
William Roy Kem was born in Seattle, WA October 9, 1946. A self-proclaimed military brat, he moved around a lot and even spent 4 years in Japan. His father, Shelton Kem, was an officer in WW II and Vietnam, and his older brother, Bob Kem, helped raise younger brother “Willy”. Thanks to this, Bill learned much from his big brother and always admired him. Bill graduated in 1965 from Randolph Air Force Base High School in San Antonio, Tx, where he played football, baseball, basketball, track, played in the band, sang in the choir and madrigals as President, and was in French Club, Science Club, and Letterman’s Club, as well as playing the lead in the school musical “Down In The Valley”. He went on to University at Oklahoma State where he was a was a rated Marksman in the ROTC program, played basketball on scholarship for Henry Iba, and studied Physical Education.
He met Suzanne Inciardi while she was dancing on campus, but lost contact with her for two years. Thanks to a chance meeting, they were reacquainted and started dating immediately. He gave up a spot in the Army’s Officer Candidacy School so he could get his Masters of Science and date Suzanne. They married only 6 months later on March 7th, 1970 in a small chapel in Oklahoma City, a marriage that lasted 51 years.
Bill wanted to learn how to coach gymnastics, something Suzanne thought he might have a knack for, and they attended the national competition for the United States Gymnastics Federation Junior Olympics. He introduced himself to the coach representing Oklahoma, which lead to him learning to coach gymnastics with the Olympic team that summer and developing a life long friendship with Olympic Silver Medalist, Rusty Mitchell. This started a long coaching career, where he had a nationally recognized competitive program, was a member of the USA Gymnastics Federation as an instructor, and certified by their safety program as well as being a certified gymnastic coach. He was accepted into the prestigious Heart of America Gymnastic Conference, which included the highest-ranked coaches in the Midwest region and was twice voted Coach of the Year, was president of the US Gymnastics Federation for Oklahoma and Age Group Chairman for a number of years, and was published in the National Who’s Who for gymnastics coaches. He and his wife ran their Dance and Gymnastics school in Ponca City for over 50 years.
Accomplishments aside, Bill was a humble, upstanding man of character and was quite involved in the community as a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Lion’s Club, brought gymnastics into schools as part of the Arts Outreach Program, and regularly participated in fund raising efforts for many organizations all over Ponca City. He worked back stage and on stage for numerous theatrical productions, mostly side by side with his wife, son and daughter. He was a devoted husband and father, constantly giving his time, love and devotion, traveling all over the state for his kids to perform, and then all over the country to support them as they gained professional careers. He was a member of the Pioneer Bible Church and Providence Baptist Church, consistently studying the Bible and being a wonderful example of Christ.
“Mr Kem”. Very few people just called him “Bill”. He was a father to all. Every student he touched continued to feel the innocence of a child when they were with him, so he was forever, respectfully, “Mr Kem”. From teaching P.E. at Roosevelt Elementary in the 1970s, to substitute teaching all over Ponca City, to most recently teaching P.E. at St Mary’s Catholic School for 25 years, where he was voted unanimously by the students to speak at graduation multiple times, and, of course, coaching gymnastics at his gym - Mr. Kem molded the lives and athletics for multiple generations. He also was a stock broker for Stifel, Nicolaus & Co for ten years in the 1980s, helping many in Ponca City with their investments. He couldn’t go around town without seeing someone he knew, always waving hello and offering a hug. His family had to share him with so many people, but they never felt they were sharing him. He had plenty of love to go around. He lived such a compassionate life. He poured himself to others, making them feel special, and giving them the motivation to learn and grow, something they could carry with them the rest of their lives. He generously gave his time, his patience, his home, his money, his smile, and his huge hugs. He asked for nothing in return but always accepted homemade chocolate chip cookies and rhubarb pie. Every day of his life was meaningful; this may not have been on purpose, it just was who he was - he put others first and cared about details, and thus, someone benefited from him every day. It seems the entire town of Ponca City, and beyond, is feeling his void. May we use his memory as motivation to step up in his absence and be a “Mr Kem” to those in our lives.
Bill is proceeded in death by his father, Shelton Kem, and mother, Ann, his father-in-law Nilo Francis Inciardi and mother-in-law Marj Inciardi. He leaves behind his wife Suzanne Kem of Ponca City, Ok, son, Kevin Kem of Atlanta, GA, daughter and son-in-law Cara and Rick Cassens of Ponca City, Ok and their children Scarlette and Clint (his mini-me), his brother Bob and sister-in-law Anne of Spokane, WA, siblings-in-law Marc and Pam Inciardi of Kansas City, KS, Annette and Robert Gomez of Canyon Lake, TX, and Gina and Larry Ressler of Arcadia, OK, nephews Mike and Matt Kem and Larry and Logan Ressler, and nieces Ashley Huppe, Erin Angotti and Gillian Aquino, as well as numerous cousins that all loved him dearly, including his “twin” cousin Jill who was born one day after him. Bill and Suzanne also had two unofficial “adopted” children, Cindy Watson of Ponca City, OK and Eric Chambray of Las Vegas, NV. Family was extremely important to him, and he was known for long good-byes and big hugs. He will be so missed.
This is a message from Cara, Bill Kem's daughter.
Cara Kem Cassens
For the past month, my dad has been battling illness. Fortunately, the studio was closing for the summer, and he was not there much. He spent more time running errands around town, fixing issues for my mom and myself. When he first started feeling ill, he and my mom got tested. They were both negative. For the past year and half, they have been operating the gym, taking precautions, and have stayed healthy. We’ve been quite blessed. But mom started feeling ill as well and dad got a little worse. Despite the negative test, they started on medication two days later. Both got a little bit worse, and they retested, positive this time. Mom was on the medication early in her illness, which has allowed her to heal with minimal issues. But the virus had more time to set into my dad, and he developed pneumonia. His oxygen dropped, and we took him to the hospital. As to be expected, his numbers shifted slightly up and down, but generally he just needed time to heal. We had more good reports than bad, and any bad reports were quickly reversed. He needed to heal quicker, so his wonderful set of doctors made some aggressive choices and thought outside the box. We got to go see him few days ago, and he was positive but tired. He asked the nurses how much longer he was going to have to stay in the hospital.
Dad had a good day yesterday. His heart is strong and it showed it. His liver and kidneys both were working well. His oxygen was up. The doctor was very proud and felt he had turned a big corner. We were very hopeful that he would be out of there soon. and then last night, out of nowhere, everything changed. His oxygen started dropping, and they couldn't figure out why. His heart suddenly went into Atrial Fib. They did everything they could for him. We were standing right outside his room, praying, when the doctor came out and told us he was gone. They took all the wires off of him and let us spend time with him. We stayed for a few hours. We know it was his time to go Home. This sudden issue, that completely shocked the doctors and no meds could help, could have only been the Lord calling him back. He is with Jesus now. My dad was always a very busy guy that never really seemed to sleep; Even during his last days at home, he was doing paperwork and checking on the leaks at the gym after the rain. He never wanted to stop. He finally gets to sleep. He deserves the rest.
Everything Ive asked the Lord for in this, He has given me, except for getting to keep my dad. We have a lot of blessings in this, even in this.
I know he was a treasure to so many in his life- thats what great men are. And the outpouring of love we’ve received from the community is overwhelming. He had the biggest forgiving heart of anyone I’ve ever known. He never allowed differences of opinions to be an issue. He always gave, gave, gave, and never wanted anything in return (except for maybe a Rhubarb Pie). He loved the Lord and was a wonderful Spiritual Leader in our home, always being the example of Christ and treating his family with the utmost respect. Many of you were family too. We know many will want to leave a tribute to him, so I’ve created a page for our “extended family” to leave messages of love and memories. For the next few days, please let this page be your communication with us. Our phone has rung off the hook for the past few weeks, and we’ve had people come into the gym to speak to us while we were working. And while we can appreciate your concern, we really need to rest and need some quite time.
The following link is Bill Kem's Tribute page on Facebook:
August 21, 2021 is my dad’s second birthday. There is nothing we could have done different to change that. No matter our choices, the Lord will use them to complete His perfect will for our lives. We may not like it, but His timing is perfect. And we can find complete peace knowing my dad put his complete trust in the Lord and is now enjoying Utter Bliss! No more worldly worries. No more pain or sadness. I’m even a bit jealous. YET knowing my heart also abides in the Lord, I know I’ll get to see him again and worship the Lord with him once more.
Bill's service will be held at the Poncan Theater 104 E Grand Ponca City at 2pm cst on Friday.
There will be a facebook live feed on the group: Bill Kem Tribute Page for all who cannot attend.
If you are in town and would like to visit with my dad, there will be a viewing at Trout Funeral Home on Thursday from 10am-8pm.
This link is to Bill's FB page
Gloria Campbell Gallagher '65
Peace
Suzanne Kem, wife
Cara Kem Cassens, daughter
Kevin Kem, son
1404 N. Pecan
Ponca City, OK 74604
