Mary Elizabeth (Robards) Kemm

Mary Elizabeth (Robards) Kemm passed away peacefully on November 17, 2024. She was born in Joplin, Missouri, on February 19, 1936, to H.D. “Doc” and Mary Ann (Smith) Robards.

Elizabeth was an educator, musician, and lifelong lover of classical music and fine arts. Her music career began early, starting with her first job as a church organist at age 13. She went on to teach piano, perform, and provide music to many churches before embarking on a career in education.

A 1954 graduate of Joplin High School, Elizabeth attended Joplin Junior College earning her associate degree in 1956. During that time she met and married another musician, Johnny Kemm, in 1955. While raising her four children, Elizabeth taught piano lessons and completed a B.A. in music at Missouri Southern State College in 1977. She and Johnny were choir director and organist at two area churches and performed regularly as a piano-organ duo.

In 1984, Elizabeth was in the first class to graduate from MSSC with an information technology degree. She worked as a programmer and analyst at the college for 5 years. But her passion was to teach, so she earned a Ph.D. in information technology from the University of North Texas. She returned to MSSC to teach in the Computer Science department until 2001.

Elizabeth then taught at Central Michigan University, where she stayed until her retirement in 2006. One of her great joys was teaching several times at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology through the CMU instructor exchange program. In Michigan, she continued sharing her musical talents by starting a handbell choir at Rosebush United Methodist Church.

Elizabeth touched many lives through her years in music and education. She spent her final years in Northwest Arkansas. She was preceded in death by her brother, David Robards, and her husband, Johnny Kemm. She is survived by her four children: Russ Kemm (Joy) of Nevada, Missouri; Ron Kemm (Linda) of St. Louis, Missouri; Larry Kemm (Maura) of Tampa, Florida; and Janet Martinez (Fred) of Canehill, Arkansas; 13 grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on November 30 at First Presbyterian Church, 511 W. Broadway Street, Webb City, Missouri, with a reception following. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Elizabeth’s memory to Mount Comfort Presbyterian Church, 3816 W. Mt. Comfort Road, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72704.