James DeWitt Hempleman

1945 - 2018

James (Jim) DeWitt Hempleman, of Chicago, IL, Antioch, IL and Marco Island, FL, age 72, died May 4, 2018, shortly after sunset, his favorite time of day. He was surrounded by family in the comfort of his own home. He recently wrote in his memoirs that he felt the theme of his life was being in the "Right Place at the Right Time." The more he wrote, the more he realized that most of the major turns in his life were not a result of careful planning and execution; rather, most of the important things that happened to him were sheer luck – simply because he was in the right place at the right time. Ironic for a man who always thought he was in control. Luck favors the prepared, indeed. Jim was born on October 9, 1945 in Connersville, Indiana to Jordan DeWitt Hempleman and Kathryn Jane (Carter) Hempleman. He is survived by the love of his life for the past 35 years, Sandra Mosher Hempleman, a daughter Holly (Craig) Wood of Arlington, VA and a son Jim (Amy) of Mount Prospect, IL and his sister Vicki (Bill) Liggett of South Bend, IN as well as four grandchildren (Kendall, Caroline, Kate and Jack) who loved him beyond words and his nephews Billy and Ryan Liggett and niece Sarah (Ryan) Jameson. Jim epitomized a life well-lived, always the first one awake and last one to sleep. He had a zest for living that was contagious, and every moment with Jim was an adventure, even in his final days. Just five weeks before his death, he was parasailing with his son and wife. His larger than life presence here on earth makes his passing that much harder. Jim graduated from Purdue University and was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. It was at Purdue that he found his love of computer programming. Jim started a computer consulting firm, Premier International, in 1985. Today, the company has 30+ loyal employees that he lovingly called his other kids (think young and VERY smart). The company was his true passion and his legacy will live on through the dedication and brilliance of his beloved team. Prior to starting Premier International, Jim worked at General Motors, Touche Ross & Co. and Zethcon. He holds 10 patents in the music industry and the licensing rights for many organizations. He even wrote a cookbook, back in the day when heavy, high calorie French cooking was in vogue. He started the Premier International and Foundation Life Lessons Network - www.lifelessonnetwork.org to teach children about integrity and ethics. Jim was a true entrepreneur, always using his creativity and passion for exploration to come up with new ideas and innovations at work and at home. All services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to one of the following: Avow Hospice in Naples, Florida The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research American Cancer Society