Mrs. Deborah Jean Hemphill

HEMPHILL, Mrs. Deborah Jean - Age 60, passed away Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at Genesee Care Center - Grand Blanc, MI. Family hour 10 a.m. Monday, October 26, 2015 at House of Prayer Missionary Baptist Church, 1851 W. Carpenter Rd., with funeral service commencing at 11 a.m. Pastor Kenneth L. Stewart, officiating. Interment Sunset Hills Cemetery, G-4413 Flushing Rd. Friends and pallbearers will assemble at the church 10 a.m. Monday. Mrs. Hemphill will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, 906 W. Flint Park Blvd., and may be viewed from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday, with the family present from 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Mrs. Deborah Jean (Stallings) Hemphill was born on July 27, 1955 in Flint, Michigan, the daughter of the late Roger Lee, Sr. and Lilly Stallings. She was a lifelong resident of the City of Flint. Deborah attended Flint Community Schools and graduated from Flint Northwestern “Class of 1973.” She attended college at the University of Michigan, Flint. Deborah was employed by General Motors for 31 years. She loved the Lord and was a member of House of Prayer Missionary Baptist Church. Deborah was a very intelligent person who was always aware of current events and was not afraid to share her opinions. She was a loyal wife, mother, sister and friend. Deborah loved deeply and gave of herself and her resources freely whenever someone was in need. She was a very proud and private woman. Deborah had her share of challenges, but with the grace of God she faced each one courageously and with great strength. She was very family oriented and was a proud mother and grandmother. Deborah provided unwavering support, not just to her family, but to her friends, as well. She was there when she was needed the most and she encouraged others when they needed it. Deborah loved to laugh. She was a beautiful, kind-hearted soul and being a part of her life was an honor and a privilege. Deborah was just fun to be around. There was also a fussy side to her, as I’m sure many could attest to. Her fussiness, however, was done out of love and designed to move you to where she thought you needed to be at the time. Deborah had many hobbies: drawing (she could draw really well) crafting, knitting, sewing, crocheting, gardening, and baking cheese cakes and she excelled at them all; she was very creative. She truly enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. Deborah loved dogs and cats. She also liked traveling and shopping (she loved her shoes and purses); Deborah enjoyed going to rummage sales and having rummage sales and shared her tips freely about how to make a rummage sale successful. Deborah was an all-around good person and her presence will be deeply missed by all those who knew and loved her. Her loving impact on the lives of others will never be forgotten. Mrs. Deborah J. Hemphill leaves to cherish her precious memories: husband of 31 years, James; 4 children, Altura Stallings, Jamil (Deondra) Stallings, Tesah Hemphill of Atlanta, GA, Karin Hemphill of Grand Blanc, MI; grandchildren, Nakiyah, Makayla, Edreece, Jamia, Jakia, Vashari, Averi, Kishon, Nolin and Nia; 1 great-grandson, Amere; mother, Lilly Stallings; 1 sister, Karen (Raymond) Felder; 3 brothers, Roger, Jr., Vincent, and Reginald (Lisa) Stallings; mother-in-Law, Willetta “Granny” Hemphill; a host of other relatives and friends survive including lifelong special friends, Jackie Anderson (her BFF), Anita Wise-Williams, Belle Bell, Kim Ross, Jenever Utsey, Amelia Leflore, Peggy Carroll-Tipton, and Vanessa Humphrey. Mrs. Hemphill was preceded in death by her grandson, Ashton Ragland Savoy; father, Roger Lee Stallings, Sr.; grandmother, Carrie McIntyre; infant sister, Brenda Stallings; and nephews, Darian and Kevin Stallings. The family would like to express special thanks to Dr. T. Stevens, Dr. D. Welker, Dr. V. Peram, Dr. Geeta Rode, the staff of Genesee Care Center, the staff of Hurley Medical Center’s Oncology Unit, Heartland Home Care (Fostrian Manor), Pastor Kenneth L. Stewart and the House of Prayer Missionary Baptist Church family.

Mrs. Deborah Jean Hemphill

July 27, 1955 - October 20, 2015