LAKE ODESSA, Mich. — The streets of Lake Odessa are quieter this week, their usual summer bustle muted by grief after the sudden death of Dylan Kemp, a devoted husband, father of two, and lifelong friend to nearly everyone in town. Kemp, 29, was killed earlier this week in a construction‑site accident, a loss that has left his family and this tight‑knit community reeling.
A proud Lakewood High School graduate who spent his early childhood in Detroit before growing up here, Kemp was known for a head‑down work ethic and a heart that somehow made room for everyone. Whether operating heavy equipment, mowing a neighbor’s lawn at dusk, or cracking a joke in the dugout, friends say he carried the same easy grin and “can‑do” spirit.
“He was the guy who’d text at midnight to say, ‘Need me to bring the trailer tomorrow?’” remembered longtime friend Hunter Miller. “He didn’t wait to be asked—he just showed up.”
Kemp channeled that generosity into both lawn‑care work and construction projects, gaining a reputation for craftsmanship and reliability. But his lighter side thrived on the softball diamond, where he wore number 24 and turned routine league nights into full‑throated community events. Teammates will don custom #24 jerseys for an upcoming tribute game, date still to be announced.
Off the field, Kemp’s world revolved around his wife, Alyssa, and their two young children—whose names the family has asked remain private for now. He is also survived by extended family including Chari, Kirt, Amanda, and Hunter, each of whom described him as the anchor that held cousins, in‑laws, and lifelong friends together.
As condolences poured in, the community leaned on shared faith. “God’s plan isn’t always easy to understand,” one mourner said after a candle‑lit vigil on Main Street. “But we know Dylan is resting in peace, and we’re praying hard for Alyssa and those sweet kids.”
Plans for a memorial service and the softball tribute will be announced by the Kemp family in the coming days. In the meantime, neighbors have launched meal trains, childcare schedules, and a local fund to help Alyssa and the children cover immediate expenses.
For all who knew him, Kemp’s legacy lives in a thousand small kindnesses: a lawn mowed before sunrise, a toolbox loaned without question, a laugh shared in the seventh inning. Lake Odessa will feel his absence in every freshly‑dragged infield and every construction site at quitting time, when someone looks around for Dylan’s ready smile—and finds the afternoon suddenly, achingly still.
If life here is stitched together by helping hands, Dylan Kemp was the steady thread. Now, as the community struggles to mend the tear left behind, his example guides them: show up, work hard, love big.
Service & Remembrance
— Memorial details forthcoming via the Kemp family
— Tribute softball game (players in #24 jerseys) to be scheduled; community welcome
In Loving Memory:
Husband. Father. Craftsman. Teammate. Friend. Dylan Kemp’s spirit lingers in every story told beneath the ballpark lights—a reminder that one vibrant life can illuminate an entire town.
