John was born on October 27, 1955 in Huntington Beach, California, to Al Hemphill and Naomi Duke. From a very early age, John developed a love for food. One of his childhood highlights was working at the family donut shop. Often times he would mention all the great recipes and skills he learned from those years. On May 18, 1975, he was blessed with a baby boy, Jason. John continued to grow his family when he married his wife, Maria, on September 12, 1992. Not only did he inherit two daughters, Amanda and Sugeith, but he also had another boy, Michael. At that point, John's main focus and mission in life was to fully care and provide for his family. After many years of working in his own restaurant, he spent the rest of his career working at MCCS. He added to his culinary skills by taking on construction, plumbing, and carpentry. John soon became a jack of all trades. He was a hard worker and always thrived to learn and expand his knowledge. Aside from his dedication to his work and family, John was mainly known for two things: The first was his huge heart. John was such a kind and caring person. His biggest and most special quality was that he put everyone first. If you ever had a need and John knew about it, he would do everything within his power to help you. He literally would give you the shirt off his back if that is what you needed. The second thing he was known for was his Mexican heritage. If you're wondering, 'But I thought John was Caucasian,' if you knew John you knew how much he loved 'being' Mexican. he loved the food, spices, and most of all, Juan Gabriel. Recently one of his friends said, 'He was more Mexican than anyone he had ever met.' John touched the lives of many people and was truly loved. He will be forever missed. He is survived by his sons, Jason and Michael; daughters Amanda and Sugeith; and grandchildren: Austin, Autumn, Itzel, Azuzena, and Jackson.