Steve loved his family above all else. He and Dawn were married for 39 years. He was the best dad anyone could’ve ever hoped for and always made time for his boys. For example, even when he was traveling for business, he always made it home in time for his duties as a Boy Scout leader.
Steve was a man with an impeccable work ethic almost to a fault. This was probably attributable to being raised on a farm. He worked most of his life in the building materials business until the economic downturn in 2008. This included everything from being a store manager at Lowes to being a traveling sales rep. He was also a store manager for Leonard Buildings and Truck Accessories. He most recently worked briefly at Liberty Tire and Auto. Steve would always say “I do not have customers, only friends who buy from me”. Needless to say, he had friends all over the state of North Carolina. He never met a stranger whether it was a client or someone he met outside of work.
Anyone who knew Steve loved his sense of humor. Being an avid Duke fan, he loved “getting into it” with all Carolina fans. He even pulled against NC State when they played Duke while his son was a student at NC State.
Steve also loved working with tools and could build just about anything using wood, a skill he learned from his father. As some of the locals in Liberty may remember, he helped supply the materials and worked to rebuild the Boy Scout cabin in Liberty after a hurricane hit.
Even though Steve loved most sports, he was a very good baseball player. This too, was a talent that was inherited from his father. He played baseball all through school. He also played on the Lowes softball team and on the team at Tabernacle United Methodist Church where he had been a member for over 30 years.
A graveside funeral service will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. at Dr. Clyde M. Gilmore Memorial Park with Rev. Howard Spray officiating. He will lie in repose at Loflin Funeral Home on Friday, January 29, 2021 from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m. for friends and family to pay their respects.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Opal Sheppard Hemphill and brothers, Brad Hemphill and Michael Hemphill.
Steve is survived by his wife, Dawn Smith Hemphill; sons, Seth Austin Hemphill and his wife, Tiffany and Jordan Michael Hemphill; father, Walter Clarence Hemphill; and sisters, Renee Martin and Vanessa Ann Hemphill.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that contributions be made to Pleasant Hill Christian Church, 1712 Pleasant Hill-Liberty Road, Liberty, NC 27298 which is where he and Dawn were married.
Please share your thoughts and memories with the family at www.LoflinFH.com.
Loflin Funeral Home of Liberty is honored to serve the Hemphill family.
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