Bonnie Ann Kempe

Bonnie Ann (Pitts) Kempe, 81, of Wakefield, passed away surrounded by loved ones on Sunday, July 2, 2023. She was the wife of Paul F. Kempe, III, for 55 years. Born in Cranston, she was the daughter of the late George B. and Lillian (Agnew) Pitts.

Bonnie is survived by her three daughters: Gwynne Millar (husband Dana), Julie Westall (husband Barry), and Amy Kempe; grandchildren: Cameron, Jack, and Casey.

She is also survived by her brother George Pitts. In addition to her parents, Bonnie is predeceased by her sister Ann Marie (Pitts) Maeder.

Bonnie Kempe was many things to many people. She was a beloved daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, niece, neighbor, and friend.

She met the love of her life Paul while they both worked at Hillside Farm Dairy in Cranston. After they were married and had children, she found it humorous to tell people the “milkman” fathered her children.

While living in Coventry, she and Paul would save all year to take their young family on vacation each summer to Martha’s’ Vineyard, that is until “Jaws” was released. They loved the island life so much that they chose to make their home and raise their three girls in Jamestown.

It was in Jamestown that Bonnie became somewhat of a celebrity. In an effort to clear the homestead of brush and after an incident with Paul and a chainsaw, Bonnie took the advice of a friend and purchased a goat. One goat quickly turned into two, three, and five and ultimately the creation of Bayview Ranch, the first known goat farm in Jamestown.

A goat farm nestled in a neighborhood on the North End of Jamestown was quite the stir and attraction. Without google maps or GPS, locals and tourists alike seemed to find their way to the farm on their way through Jamestown.

Bonnie and Paul never did anything half way, and so started more than 25 illustrious years as one of the elite goat farms on the East Coast. Travelling far and wide each weekend from May to October, Bonnie, Paul and the kids (human and goat) would compete at the highest levels at goat shows. They bred and raised countless Grand Champion and Best in Show goats. Bonnie waged and won a hard-fought campaign to serve as a Director of the American Dairy Goat Association, serving as a leading voice for national goat and farm policy. And, with Paul as a national dairy goat judge, they were quite the power couple in the goat industry.

When not tending to her family or the goats, Bonnie worked as a school bus driver in Jamestown, where she was affectionately nicknamed “The Goat Lady” by the hundreds of schoolchildren whom she adored and ferried to and from school each day. Bonnie loved bringing the goats to Jamestown School each Spring for the schoolchildren to enjoy, and she opened her home and farm to any children interested in learning more about the farming lifestyle.

After Wendy, Julie and Amy had grown and left the home, Bonnie and Paul started the next chapter of their life together in West Virginia, where Paul was transferred to for work. When tending to the goat farm became too much, Bonnie and Paul hung up the milk machine to try their hand at something new – thoroughbred horse racing.

Again, never doing anything half way, Bonnie and Paul struck gold for a second time and became quite successful at thoroughbred racing. Now, none of the horses raced at the Kentucky Derby, but BK Racing was ever present in the winner’s circle at the Charles Town Racetrack in West Virginia.

Bonnie and Paul gave up the fast-paced horse racing world to return to Rhode Island to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Bonnie loved being by the ocean and spending time with family. She loved lobster rolls, fish and chips, maple walnut ice cream, and the occasional Awful Awful.

Her funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday, July 10, 2023 at 10:00 AM at St. Mark’s Church, 60 Narragansett Avenue in Jamestown.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bonnie’s name to the Aftercare Charles Town, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the rehoming and repurposing of retired racehorses that are ending their racing careers at Charles Town Races.