H. Ford Willey III

Michael "Mike" Cook

I was told about this article by Ford Willey and I was able to obtain it through Jim's sister Mary Hempler (Huddleston). It's from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat under today's comment by George Hower, April 21st, 1967. I think the article reflects the Jim Hempler I knew.

"Few People Were As Wealthy in Friends"

The thing he wanted most out of life was to be a professional golfer.

He hungered to have a try at going on tour, maybe to win a few tournaments, and to gain fame and security. The last two goals were no more, no less, than what any one else asked of life in his or her way.

He was the kind of guy every one would have rooted for right away.

He was tall and handsome, polite to every one and well-liked by any one who knew him.

The person we're talking about is Jim Hempler.

He addressed every one as "Mr." or "Mrs." and when the ladies went to play golf on Wednesday they were greeted as "Mrs. Manker", "Mrs. Fisher", "Mrs. Jewell". On Thursday, when husbands and wives went together for one of their weekly Resident's Tournaments, they received the same polite treatment.

As a golf pro, he would of had it made. Tall and handsome and yet shy and boyish looking, he brought out the mother instinct. Yet he also was the clean-cut kind of guy any father would want his son to look like when he grew up.

It was no affectation. That was the way he'd been reared to greet people. His politeness wasn't the veneer that some people take on and off, like a sweater, when it suits their purpose.

Man or woman, young or old, golfer or not, they all liked Jim when they met him.

He even called us "Mr. Hower', and if he didn't see us around Oakmont Golf Course for a few weeks, he'd find out why.

The last time we talked to him was a couple of days ago when he called the golf results in.

"It is I, Jim Hempler of Oakmont golf course", he the assistant golf pro kidded himself.

He fed us the golf scores and we could tell from his voice he was tickled to be back in his beloved pro shop, getting experience under head pro Ford Willey, and being where he could walk in the fresh air and blue skies and practice the shots that might someday make him famous.

Unfortunately, we didn't have much time to talk to him that day. Rushed with other things, we had to be short with him. But we could tell from his voice how happy he was to be working with head pro Ford and assistant Jim Widener.

That was the last time we talked to him, for on Tuesday of this week he died on Oakmont golf course retrieving golf balls. His big, strong looking body hid one defect. He had a history of epilepsy. Only his close friends, Ford, Jim Widener and Clubmaster John Lane, among others, knew. or had any reason to know.

Jim had gone out to retrieve balls hit earlier in the day by Ford.

"Why don't you pitch them up to the flag and then pick them all up" Ford suggested.

That was mid-afternoon. It was late afternoon, long after the time when Jim should have been back in the shop, his duties done, when Ford became concerned.

Ford took a cart and went out searching for Jim whom he thought might have wandered off to play a hole or two.

No one can, and no one wants to "believe it". The more we think of it, the harder it is to write this. At 24 years, the young Napa man's end came too soon.

Ford remembers seeing the movie "Song of Bernadette", recently. 'For those who are religious, this movie needs no explantation, for those who are not religious, this movie offers no explanation.' "

Few people like Jim are put here. Luckily we had the pleasure to know him, and, although he never had the opportunity to become a Palmer or a Nicklaus, he was still a pro.

Jim Davis

    Mike,

    That was an excellent article that you found about Jim Hempler. Thank you.

    Jim Davis

Thomas Malloy

Michael:  As you know "the Malloy Boys" as well as you, grew up with Jim as our close pal.  I still think of him often..........thanks for the article, I never saw it...........fits Jim to a "Tee".............Tom Malloy

Steve Doughty

Mike,

Jim was a real class act. Always dressed to the nines.

Always had a smile for everyone.

I am sure he is playing a round on Cloud "9"

Thanks, Steve Doughty

Richard "Dick" Curtis

I met Jim when I was four years old.  We had moved from Brown St., from next to Patty Wilson's home, to G and Georgia, a house away from Craig College and a block away from Jim.  From the day we met we became best friends.  I only went to school with Jim for a year in kindergarten and then he went to St. Johns while I stayed at Lincoln Elementary.  We walked to school every day though and came home from school together to then spend the afternoon and evenings with Craig College playing outside until we were called in for the evening.  Finally in the ninth grade we were back in school together at Napa Junior High and would stay in school together until we graduated from Napa Union High.  We used to play basketball for hours in the basketball court that Richard Pierce had built for Ricky Pierce and Bobby Pierce that was right next door to our house and across the street from Craig College.  We used to go up  to the high school three blocks away and play football together.  During Christmas vacation we used to go up to the high school, climb up the down spout between the big gym and little gym to sneak into the big gym and play basketball until there was not enough light to see the hoops, then we would walk out the front door and go home for dinner.  The memories of Jim still come to me often, all of them good with the exception of the memory of being told of his death.  I was in Vietnam at the time and there was no way of being able to get back to Napa for his funeral.  I sat on my bunk and cried knowing I would never see my good friend again, and knowing that a really good person had passed away and would never be able to enjoy the good life he so much deserved.  Here it is over forty seven years later and I still have tears in my eyes remembering Jim Hempler.

Douglas Siemens