In all the media coverage and the BP spin, we can so easily lose sight that 11 people died in the April 20 explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig: Jason Anderson, Aaron Dale Burkeen, Donald Clark, Stephen Curtis, Roy Wyatt Kemp, Karl Kleppinger, Gordon Jones (M-I SWACO), Blair Manuel (M-I SWACO), Dewey Revette, Shane Roshto and Adam Weise.
Here is a tribute to these men from the website Deepwater Horizon Condolences:
Two obituaries from deepwaterhorizoncondolences.com:
Shane Michael Roshto
Shane Michael Roshto, 22, of Liberty, Miss., died Tuesday, April 20, 2010, in an offshore oil rig explosion. Visitation at Bethel Baptist Church in Liberty on Wednesday from 3 p.m. until memorial service at 6 p.m. with the Rev. Dusty Rhodes officiating. Mr. Roshto was born in Baton Rouge. His family moved to Liberty in 1999. He was a great husband and father. He never met a stranger and befriended everyone. He was an inspiration to his friends and family. Mr. Roshto loved his job. He was ambitious and had a strong work ethic. Even after over three years working on the rig, his co-workers tended to “baby” him because of his young age. Blaine Michael, his 3-year-old son, was his dad’s shadow. Like his father, Blaine developed a love of the outdoors at an early age. Mr. Roshto wrote two dates – his wedding day and his son’s birthday – inside of his hard hat. He referred to these dates when he was having a bad day. He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Verna Mae Jordan; grandfather, Alfred Roshto; and uncles, Kyle Jordan and Fred Roshto. Survivors include his wife, Natalie; son, Michael Blaine; mother, Denise, and stepfather, Bobby Arnold, of Meadville; father, Ronnie, and stepmother, Debbie Roshto, of Walker; sister and brother-in-law, Diana and Ed Evans, Greensburg; nephews, Jayce Walker and Wyatt Evans, both of Greensburg; brother and sister-in-law, Rusty and Allison Roshto, Walker; niece and nephew, Laney and Cade, both of Walker; stepsister, Andrea Arnold, of Franklin County; maternal grandfather, Walter “Jack” Jordan, of Clinton; paternal grandmother, Eula Mae Roshto Gremillion, of Brusly; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Lyn and Mike Gurney, of Liberty; and two brothers-in-law, Josh and Braeden Gurney, both of Liberty. Honorary pallbearers are Paul Johnson, his rig manager, Ron Arnold, co-worker and friends, James Hayes, Kyle Marshall, Dale Floyd and Bobby Hollingsworth.
Published in Louisiana’s The Advocate newspaper on April 27, 2010
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Roy Wyatt Kemp
Obituary – ROY WYATT KEMP
The News-Star (Monroe, LA)
28 April 2010
Jonesville, LA.
Memorial services for Roy Wyatt Kemp age, 27, of Jonesville, LA will be held at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Jonesville, LA on April 30, 2010 at 10:00 AM. Bro Craig James and Bro. Tom Rayford will be officiating the services under the direction of Young’s Funeral Home, of Jonesville.
Visitation will be held on Thursday April 29, 2010 from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Jonesville, LA.
Wyatt was born on January 21, 1983 in Ferriday, La. to Peggy Kemp and the late Sandy Lee Kemp. He was a resident of Jonesville, LA and a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Jonesville, LA. Wyatt was a devoted husband, father and son but most of all he was a man who loved the Lord. Wyatt had a unique sense of humor. He loved the outdoors and was an avid fisherman and hunter. He enjoyed spending time with his family, friends, hunting dog Ellie, and fellow crewman of the Deepwater Horizon owned by his employer, Transocean Deepwater Drilling.
He was preceded in death by his father Sandy Lee Kemp, Grandfather Roy Wilfred Kemp, Grandfather Carlos Rabb, Sr. and Grandmother Willie Mae Graves Rabb Perritt.
He is survived by his wife and best friend Courtney Carpenter Kemp and children Kaylee Joyce Kemp and Clara Maddison Kemp. Mother Peggy Kemp, Brother Sandon Kemp and wife Nanci, sisters, Jacqueline Duncan and husband Scott, Micalet Kemp, Grandmother Carolyn Kemp, Audrey Rabb Barbe and husband R.E., great-grandmother Lillie Mae Perritt, father and mother-in-law, Dewitt L. Carpenter and Theresa F. Carpenter, three brother-in-laws, Lee Carpenter and wife Caroline, Corbin Carpenter and Colt Carpenter, and also surviving are 8 neices and nephews Paige Marie Fitt, Joshua Gage Fitt, Elizabeth Scott Duncan, Jessica Kalyn Mount, Adam James Kemp, Jillian Wyatt Kemp, Traylyn Micalet Kemp, and Dewitt Lee Carpenter III, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
Memorial donations may be made to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church and St. Judes Childrens Research Hospital.