Pearl C. (Coughanour) Hemphill

Pearl Coughanour Hemphill, 92, passed away peacefully on October 3rd, 2019, at the Transitional Care Unit at Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, PA. 

A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held in the Sell Chapel at Masonic Village on Wednesday, October 16that 12:30 pm (church opens for visitation at Noon). 

Pearl was born on July 24, 1927 in the small town of Jacobs Creek, in southwestern Pennsylvania,to Anson Clyde and Goldie Belle Coughanour.

One of five children, she attended Indiana State Teachers College (now Indiana University of PA) and graduated with a degree in English.

Pearl moved to Tarentum, PA, where she taught English to middle schoolers for a few years. This is where she met Raymond G. Hemphill. They married in 1953.

They moved to O’Hara Township, a suburb of Pittsburgh, where they raised their three children. Ray retired in 1985, and they moved to New Smyrna Beach, in Florida. They enjoyed 26 years together in Florida, and hosted lots of family and friends.    Since December 2011, Pearl resided at Masonic Village in Elizabethtown. 

She was a devoted member of Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, and continued attending church throughout her years in Florida. Once back in PA, she loved attending services at Sell Chapel.

Pearl gave of herself tirelessly.  She volunteered and was deeply involved in supporting the Philanthropic Education Organization (known at the P.E.O), which helps women to gain higher education. She also did prodigious service at church, especially organizing and working at the fund-raising White Elephant sales.

Pearl was pre-deceased by her husband of 58 years, Raymond. She is survived by her daughter Ellen, her husband David Alpern, and their daughters Emma and Molly; son Neal and his wife Trish Wirtenson; and daughter Beth and her husband Wade Reese. 

Pearl was a quilter, seamstress (made clothes for herself and her daughters), homemaker, and a wonderful cook and host. She and Ray were huge football fans, and were fortunate to be able to go to a couple of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ winning Super Bowls, as well as numerous Pitt Panthers games, and at Ray’s alma mater, Florida State.

She loved a gathering, and was a very social person, a wonderful story-teller and quick to laugh. She was a loyal, loving, positive, and happy person.

It’s possible that nothing made her happier than to curl up under  a quilt with a cup of coffee and a good book. A member and leader of book clubs throughout her life, reading was a great passion for her. And she was also quite an accomplished Bridge player.

She surely loved to listen to her daughter Ellen play piano, to see her son Neal perform on stage or in films, and to enjoy the beautiful artwork and quilts created by Beth. She took pride in her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren. She also loved all of her extended family.

She was a person of Love, and will be remembered that way.

In lieu of flowers, you may send contributions to the P.E.O.at www.peointernational.org

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