Shelter Island Reporter obituary: Grace Ellen Kempton

Grace Ellen Kempton, a longtime resident of Shelter Island, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024.

She was surrounded by friends and family and had her beloved dog Abby at her side. She was 73 years old. 

Grace was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 22, 1951, the only child of William James and Adelaide Marie Kempton. The family shared a home with Grace’s maternal grandparents, and in 1957, the family moved to Rockville Centre, N.Y.

Grace married her former husband and friend Gary R. Koehler in 1975, and together they had two children, Lesley Koehler Evans and Gary “Chip” Koehler.

Grace’s love of the beach and Shelter Island inspired the family’s move to the Island in 1990 where they became full-time residents. Grace loved being a member of the small tight-knit community and formed lasting and treasured friendships.  

In her younger days Grace cherished being a mother and loved spending time on the beach watching her kids water ski and swim in Smith Cove. Grace loved her real estate career on Shelter Island and truly enjoyed sharing her love and knowledge of the Island with her clients. 

She worked many years on Shelter Island and eventually settled on the North Fork, working under Lewis & Nickles, LTD. Grace especially loved her work as a freelance interior designer and decorator and carried out seemingly impossible projects with ease and grace. It’s no wonder her nickname was “Grace Under Fire.”

Grace cherished her four grandchildren: James Francis Evans, Isabella Gayle Evans, William Philippe and Amelia Marguerite Koehler.

She is deeply missed.

The family will be holding a memorial on Shelter Island on Oct. 5, 2024, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church.