Julia "Pem" Pemberton Kahler

Pem (Julia Pemberton) Kahler, November 27, 1947 – November 5, 2013. Pem was born Julia Pemberton Kelly in Berkeley, Calif., to Graham MacDonald Kelly and Julia Ferguson Kelly. She was the oldest of eight. She grew up in San Diego where she met her future husband Stephen Kahler. After graduation from Pt. Loma High School she attended Bryn Mawr College, Yale University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (M.D.). She commenced further training in psychiatry, but illness curtailed this in 1985. She and Steve have one daughter, Jean Stirling Kahler. Jean and her wife Jessica Rowe are the mothers of Graham Curtis Kahler-Rowe. Pem and Steve were married in 1970 in San Diego. They lived in Durham, N.C., San Diego, Chapel Hill, N.C., Melbourne, Australia, and Baltimore, before moving to Little Rock in 2005, when Steve took a position as Professor of Pediatrics at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children's Hospital. She was passionate about all of nature, with a deep love and knowledge of birds and flowers, especially roses; she loved music and was a member of the St. Mark's choir and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Community Chorus. She kept up an extensive correspondence (and phone conversations) with dozens of relatives and friends. She read extensively (especially poetry and literature). Curiosity about color vision and perception led to a deep interest in textiles, especially Japanese silks. She was passionate about civil rights and marriage equality. And she maintained an active medical license via continuing education. She will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by her family, her siblings, Graham Kelly, Jr., Susan Kelly, Molly Kelly, Nancy Kelly Johnson, John Kelly, Sarah Kelly and Anne Kelly, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends in Little Rock and around the world. She died suddenly and unexpectedly. Memorial gifts can be made to the Nature Conservancy, the Lupus Foundation of America, or St. Mark's Episcopal Church. Visitation and viewing will be at Ruebel Funeral Home 6313 W. Markham, Little Rock, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013, 6-8 p.m. Memorial service will be at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 1000 N. Mississippi, Little Rock, on Nov. 15, 2013 at 11 a.m. with reception to follow. Arrangements are under the direction of Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.