Diana Kemp White's Obituary
Diana Kemp White, 80, died August 6, 2023 at Pisgah Manor Health Center in Candler, NC. She was born on June 6, 1943 in New York City, the only child of the late Charles and Mable Blythe Kemp, both of whom are buried in Oakland Cemetery, Sag Harbor, NY.
She was educated in Catholic schools, including Marymount Manhattan College where she earned a BA in Art History and NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
She was born in Brooklyn and worked and in NYC, the Hamptons, L.I. and Charlotte for many years as a talented decorator of private residences as well television sets, “Spin City”, “Sex and the City”, “Law and Order “and multiple national commercials, such as those for Purina cat food.
Her film credits include “Swimfan “and the “Wolves of Wall Street.” In 1974 she designed and decorated “A Film” now in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Other awards include an Emmy Award for “Ugly Betty” pilot and numerous CLIO awards for TV commercials.
She also owned Needful Things, a retail antique store in Sag Harbor, LI, specializing in 20th century furniture, art, and objects which she often discovered as a full-time shopper for pieces that enhanced scenes and sets. including a large container of furnishings from the USS United States.
A self-described “Francophile,” Diana collected replicas of the Tour Eiffel.
As the “Yankee” granddaughter of her beloved grandparents, Eugenia Vance Blythe and Roland Lee Blythe on the Mount Holly-Huntersville Road, Diana spent many childhood summers with her Long Creek family. Diana moved to the Asheville, NC in 2017 to live closer to her Blythe family. Among many memories of family reunions at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, her unique and stylist flair, her warmth, and infectious laugh are cherished. She was a “Blythe spirit” who brought joy to all who knew her.
Diana was fond of animals, especially horses and favorite dogs, including her grandmother’s dog, “Big Boy “and more recently, her Jack Russell “Mille” who matched her intellect and accompanied her as she moved to N.C. from Sag Harbor. In Sag Harbor she spent many hours as a volunteer at ARF (Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons). She particularly enjoyed family gatherings and traveling with her cousins to the equestrian center in Tryon, NC.
Survivors include many loving cousins living in the two Carolinas and Virginia., as well as many friends and colleagues still living in the NYC area. All are deeply grateful for the devoted and loving care she received from cousin Peggy Blythe Wilson of Weaverville and staff at Pisgah Manor and Haywood Hospice,
Church services and internment will be held on September 12, 2023 at 1 PM at St. Mark's Episcopal Church 8600 Mount Holly Huntersville Rd. ,Huntersville, NC.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to:
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.
8600 Mount Holly Huntersville Rd.
Huntersville, NC 28078
Haywood Hospice and Palliative Care, 13 Haywood Office Park, Suite 107,
Waynesville, NC 28785
Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, 124 Daniels Hole Rd. #2616,
East Hampton, NY 11937
James Funeral Home of Huntersville is serving the family.
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