GREENSBORO - Kemp Cook Clendenin Jr. joined his Savior, Jesus, on Saturday, September 5, 2009, following a brief illness.

Mr. Clendenin was born in Greensboro on May 9, 1932, the son of Willie Jean and Kemp Cook Clendenin Sr. He graduated from Greensboro Senior High School in 1950, where he was president of the student body, and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1954 with a degree in business administration. From 1955 to 1957 he served as a pilot in the United States Air Force. In 1957, he became a partner in the firm of Clendenin, Wrenn and Kirkman, Realtors.

In a career spanning 30 years, both as a partner in Clendenin, Wrenn and Kirkman and later as a partner in Clendenin Anderson, Realtors, Mr. Clendenin held many offices in the local, state and national Boards of Realtors.

Among those were president of the Greensboro Board of Realtors, president of the North Carolina Association of Realtors, president of the North Carolina Real Estate Educational Foundation and a director of the National Association of Real Estate Boards. He also served on the faculty of the Realtors Institute at UNC-CH. Mr. Clendenin also received many accolades and awards in his professional career. He was named Realtor of the Year by the Greensboro Board in 1963 and by the NC Association of Realtors in 1964; and received the John H. Brown Memorial Award in 1981 and the Hall of Fame award in 2006 from the Greensboro Board of Realtors for outstanding service to the real estate community over the years.

Mr. Clendenin, having been born and raised in Greensboro, served his hometown in many ways. He was selected by the Greensboro Jaycees as Greensboro's Most Outstanding Young Man in 1966, served as chairman of the Chamber of Commerce in 1970, and served on many boards throughout the community, including Greensboro College, North Carolina National Bank and Gate City Savings and Loan Association.

As a Christian, Mr. Clendenin loved his church, Christ United Methodist, where he had been a member since 1957. Some of the many ways he served his church over the years include chairing the sanctuary building committee, establishing the Stephen Ministry program, and serving as a Disciple Bible Study teacher.

Mr. Clendenin is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Addie Belle Clemmons Clendenin; daughter, Laura Clendenin Westover and husband, Rick; daughter, Julie Clendenin Kornegay and husband, John; sister, Peggy Clendenin Petree; grandchildren, Carey, Addie, Emma, Grace, John Jr., Rebekah and Kemp Kornegay; Ruth Kornegay Bodie and husband, Marc, Richard Westover and wife, Rachel, and Allyson Westover; and great-grandson, Seth Bodie.

He is pre-deceased by his parents; his son, Kemp Cook Clendenin III; and his sister, Jean Clendenin Brown.

The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. today, Tuesday, September 8, at Christ United Methodist Church. Interment will follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Greensboro News & Record (NC) - Tuesday, September 8, 2009