Bryan Edward Hemphill

Bryan Edward Hemphill

1935 - 2008

Long time Newport

Beach resident Bryan

Hemphill passed away on

June 20, 2008.

Bryan grew up in

San Marino, attended

Polytechnic School, South

Pasadena High School

and the University of

Southern California. In

1964 he married Mary

Ann Gilbert, a UCLA graduate, on the day of the

USC-UCLA football game. Thus, he never forgot

their anniversary.

Bryan was the consummate businessman, loving

the retail business. He owned Hemphill’s Shoes,

which expanded from its original Alhambra

location to Costa Mesa in1958. In 1970 the

Costa Mesa store moved to Fashion Island.

During his many years in retail, Bryan loved

talking with his customers and sales reps. He was

known for his daily walks through Fashion Island,

discussing the state of business with the many

other independent retailers.

He sold Hemphill’s Shoes in 1989, and he and

Mary Ann moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, that

same year.

After six years in Virginia, the Hemphills

decided it was time to “come home.” After a brief

return to the shoe business, Bryan switched to a

new retail field, working with his son, Brett, at

Hemphill’s Rugs and Carpets in Costa Mesa.

Bryan loved golf and was a long-time member of

San Gabriel Country Club.

The Hemphills were great travelers. They

visited 47 countries and took more than

50 cruises. In recent years they celebrated

anniversaries and birthdays at the Halekulani in

Waikiki and made three trips to Italy. Breaking

away from the retail business, Bryan helped Mary

Ann, a freelance travel writer, in research and

photography during their travels.

During a private family memorial service,

Bryan’s son Gregg said, “Dad set a moral compass,

through which he will live on. Brett and I will

pass that along to our sons.”

In addition to his wife Mary Ann, Bryan is

survived by son Brett and his wife, Cherie, and

their two sons, Pierce and Will; and by son Gregg

and his wife, Amy, and their two sons, Jack and

Ben.

The most oft-heard description of Bryan

following his death was, “He was just such a great

guy.”

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a

donation to the American Cancer Society through

www.cancer.org, where a search can be made for

Bryan Hemphill’s name in the Mosaic of Hope

section of the Donations page.