John Hemphill

John (Jack) Hemphill passed away peacefully with his family by his side on May 26, after a brief illness. Jack enjoyed his long and happy marriage of 57 years with his wife, Barbara. He adored his sons, Reid and Nathan, daughter, Ashley (Bird), and son-in-law, Kevin Bird. He was a graduate of Myers Park High School and Clemson University where received a Bachelor of Architecture.

He served as a first lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers in Vietnam. Jack was a third generation architect. In 1971, he joined his father at Hemphill Associates. In 1980s, Jack and his family lived in Massachusetts where he was Vice President and General Manager of BSC Design, Inc. in Boston, MA. In 1991, he returned to Charlotte to become president of Hemphill Randel Associates.

Jack was a man of many talents. He was an accomplished fine artist whose paintings were shown in galleries throughout New England and the Carolinas. He was a member of the Guild of Charlotte Artists and won first place in 1979 in their Local Color Exhibition. He also was represented by Sailor’s Valentine Gallery on Nantucket, MA. During his retirement, Jack continued to paint, but also created his own publishing company, Willow Oak Publishing. He wrote six historical fiction novels, most of which were based in NC settings. He was the president of the Charlotte Writers Club for several years. He loved attending the “63 Mustangs” alumni dinners, spending time with his family, and his church community. To honor Jack’s loving spirit, we request that you engage in acts of kindness in your own special way. His lifelong motto was to “Love ‘em all!”