Phillip W. DeKemper, 50, of Merrimack, died Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013, at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack after a long illness.

He was born in Topeka, Kan., on Oct. 24, 1962, a son of the late Thomas A. and Sara E. (Fenwick) DeKemper. He attended the University of Arizona, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in management information systems.

Phillip was employed as a senior director, Solutions Development for Pegasystems in Bedford, and Cambridge, Mass.

He was a communicant of St. Elizabeth Seton Church in Bedford.

Before settling in Merrimack, Phil and Mara lived in Gaithersburg, Md.; London, England; New Albany, Ohio, and Duluth, Ga.

Phillip was raised from the age of 9, after his parents died, by his aunt and uncle; he was also predeceased by a daughter, Sara Margaret DeKemper, who died in 1997.

He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Mara (Herron) DeKemper of Merrimack; two sons, Thomas John "T.J." and Brendan Kelly DeKemper, both of Merrimack; five brothers and four sisters -in-law, Barry and Connie DeKemper, Carl and Denise DeKemper, Bill and Sandy DeKemper, Rick Fenwick, and David and Helene Fenwick; three sisters and two brothers-in-law Ellen and Steven Hogan, Chris Fenwick, and Susan and Bob Andazola; beloved by many Herron "outlaws," extensive extended family, multitudes of nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews and many good friends.

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services: Calling hours are at the Rivet Funeral Home, 425 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, on Thursday, Oct. 3, from 5 to 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated in St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 190 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford, on Friday at 10:30 a.m. Following cremation, a private family burial will take place at a later date in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Silver Spring, Md.

Family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (please designate contribution to Renal Cell Carcinoma Research), 330 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215.