A true Southern lady, Neva Hemphill passed away on April 10, 2026, at the age of ninety. She was born on July 19, 1935. One of the five beautiful daughters of James Aubrey Gary and Eloise Greene Gary, Neva was married to Clifford Carroll Hemphill of Springhill for many years.
Neva was a beloved homemaker who loved her family fiercely. She was a longtime member of Eupora Methodist Church where she attended alongside her husband, rarely missing a service. Her faith and steadiness were cornerstones of her life. She will be remembered by her family and friends as classy, kind, and effortlessly lovely in her signature black wardrobe, carrying herself with timeless elegance. Neva had a gift for cooking and generously shared her recipes. Those recipes are treasured by many families in the surrounding communities who still prepare her dishes today. Above all, Neva cherished her granddaughter, Kristin, and her three great-grandchildren— Ava, Dani Grace, and Logan, all of whom she called the “light of her life.” They were her greatest joy and the center of her heart. Neva is survived by one son, Clifton Gary Hemphill of Springhill; one daughter, Lisa Hemphill of Springhill; one granddaughter, Kristin Sparks Hitt (Daniel) of Springhill; three great-grandchildren, Ava Joyce McCain, Dani Grace Hitt, and Logan Gary Hitt; two sisters, Annette Waits of Houston, Texas, and Dianne Abbott of Eupora; and many friends. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband Carroll; and two sisters, Billie Ruth Jackson of Sturgis and Sue Boland of Enterprise, Alabama.