Howard John Hemphill

SUN CITY - Howard John Hemphill passed away Jan. 14, 2014 in Sun City, Ariz., surrounded by his family. He was born Dec. 28, 1946 in Billings, Mont. and graduated from Havre high school in Havre, Mont. John served 7 years in the U.S. Navy as a young man. John started with Northwestern Bell in Rochester, Minn. in 1972 and retired from Qwest Communications in 2002 after 30 years of service. He was active in the Communications Workers of America serving as Local President in Rochester, Minnesota and leadership positions in Phoenix, Ariz. He was an active leader in the AFL-CIO and the democratic party in both Minn. and Ariz. John was recognized for his service as President of Sun City's Proud Residents Independently Delivering Essential Services (PRIDES) and his involvement in the Sun City community. He was a founding member of the Next Gen club, member of the Bell Woodworking club, and member of the RCSC Government Affairs Committee. John lived life with a spirit of joy and love. As many of his friends have said, "you spend a few minutes with John and you have a friend for life." He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Susan Hemphill; his mother, Alice Hemphill; sisters, Judy Dow (husband Bryan) and Barb Shepherd; daughters, Jen Kreilich (husband Matthew) and Jill Chandanais (husband Rob); sons, Todd and Jeff Kuzel; and five grandchildren, Collin, Peter, Lalaina, Carter, Yeong Jin. Memorial services were held on Saturday Jan. 18, 2014 at the Trinity Lutheran Church, 830 E. Plaza Circle, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in John's name to PRIDES of Sun City's Beautification Project, PO Box 1463 Sun City, AZ 85372.