Irene Hemphill

Irene (Cap) Hemphill, age 93, passed away peacefully on July 14, 2025, at her home in Sacramento, California. Born on September 7, 1931 in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, she lived a long and meaningful life devoted to her family and community.

Irene is survived by her beloved husband of 66 years, Jack Hemphill; her three daughters: Julie Stelter and her husband Durk, Linda Popp and her husband Steven, and Catherine Gonzales and her husband David. She also leaves behind nine grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews who lovingly remember her as caring, patient, hard-working, kind-hearted, compassionate and an excellent cook.

As the youngest girl in a family of 10 children, Irene was the last living member of the Cap family. She worked as a medical records secretary in Cleveland, Ohio for seven years. From there, she made her way to California in 1956 by bus to live at her older brother Mike Cap's home continuing her career in the medical field at Sutter Hospital in Sacramento for three additional years.

A dedicated community leader, Irene was a long-time volunteer with Sacramento County 4-H. Her passion for teaching and nurturing young minds was evident through the many years she spent leading projects in ceramics, home furnishings, cooking, gardening and food preservation. She also served as a summer camp leader providing summers full of fun for many young minds in the area.

Loving grandparents Jack and Irene established Cousin's Camp - a cherished summer tradition which lasted for 18 years. They spent a week educating, spoiling and nurturing all nine grandchildren. Irene took pride in developing complex backyard word searches, demonstrating and teaching her cooking skills, providing prizes and presents and working alongside her grandchildren on sewing and woodworking projects. Her guidance and love left a lasting impression on the next generation of her family.

Irene's legacy lives on not only through the skills she passed down - including her famous recipes for cinnamon rolls, pierogies, beef jerky, tomato juice, apple sauce, grapefruits and more - but also the warmth and kindness she shared with everyone around her. Her home was often filled with the comforting aromas of home-cooked meals and the laughter of family gathered together as she beat everyone in a game of cards or dice.

A celebration to honor Irene's life will be held at a later date.



May her memory bring comfort to those who knew and loved her.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to http://4-h.org in Irene Hemphill's memory.