Charlie Hemphill

May 10, 1956 - March 6, 2020

March 6, 2020, will forever be a heartbreaking day. Our treasured Charlie is gone. He was a genuinely faithful, loving, considerate and absolutely irreplaceable husband to Barbara. He was her rock and her joy. He was her reason for living. This immensely cherished man was also a wise, loving, and thoughtful father to Ryan, Luke and Vanessa. His advice could always be counted on to be sound. His many grandchildren will miss growing up with their beloved Papa. The memory of our precious Charlie will live on through Taylor, Jack and Paige; Lilly, Mina and Sophie; and Conner, Claire, and Ethan. Charlie was born in Wichita Kansas on May 10, 1956. He grew up in Kansas until he made the voyage to Fresno, California at the age of 11 years old with his father, brother, and mother, leaving everything behind to start a new life. In his youth, he was active in church groups where he met his future wife, Barbara, though at the time neither knew how impactful each would be on each other's lives. Even as a young man, Charlie was always known as the nicest person you could ever meet. At the time, he could not have known how many lives he would touch throughout his life. His genuine kindness spilled over in every aspect of his being. To know Charlie is to love Charlie! He later joined the Navy, partly in rebellion and partly to see the world in a new way. During that time, he had the opportunity to live in Crete where he had “way too much fun” as he told it. The essence of Charlie: a selfless brave, stoic man -- honest to a fault with unwavering integrity. Kind, thoughtful and always wise. He loved baseball (particularly the Tigers who continually frustrated him). He had a deep love for music and instilled that love of music to all three of his children – who grew up on classic rock – music they still love to this day. Music is a way he will live on in all of us, and his presence is represented in the tunes he loved. He left a multitude of playlists that he created with strategic thought for all of us to experience. Thank you for this gift, Charlie, even if you did so unintentionally. The outdoors was a major part of Charlie and his family’s life. He loved to hike and walk along just about any waterfront, but he particularly loved harbors. Moving to Port Orchard, Washington gave him full access to all of these things he loved so much. (continued below) He is missed beyond words. The time and date of a “CELEBRATION OF LIFE” for Charlie will be announced once our way of life returns to normal – but expect it to be early summer.