Isle of Wight County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Hemmis, David Jr., 1963 

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Rites Saturday For David Hemmis 

  SMITHFIELD - Funeral services for David Hemmis Jr., Smithfield chief of 
police, who died unexpectedly Thursday morning in Obici Memorial Hospital, 
will be conducted Saturday at 2 p.m. at the graveside in St. Luke's Memorial 
Cemetery near Benns Church. 

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Services held Saturday for Smithfield Chief of Police 

  A graveside service was held last Saturday at 2 p.m. for David Hemmis, Jr., 
Chief of Police of the Town of Smithfield, who passed away in Louise Obici 
Memorial Hospital, Suffolk, on Thursday, October 17th, about 7:30 a.m.  The 
service was conducted at St. Luke's Memorial Cemetery by the Rev. Fred B. 
Wyand, pastor of Trinity Methodist Church, and Rev. J.W. Horne of Newport 
News. 

  Hemmis was taken to the hospital in Suffolk Wednesday afternoon, after he 
suffered what was described as a slight coronary while on business in Newport 
News.  He was treated in a physician's office there and taken by ambulance to 
Suffolk. 

  A native of Phillipsburg, Pa., Hemmis had served as Chief of Police in 
Smithfield since 1961.  Prior to that time he had served as deputy sheriff 
under the late Sheriff W.C. Whitehead, becoming a full-time deputy in 1951. 
He continued in this office when Sheriff Harold C. Taylor took office in 
January 1956 and until he became Chief of Police. 

  Chief Hemmis first came to Isle of Wight County during World War II, when 
he was stationed with an anti-aircraft unit at Benn's Church.  He was assigned 
with an Army unit located at Fort Monroe in 1940.  During the remainder of his 
service career he served with the coast artillery, anti-aircraft and with the 
10th Signal Co. at Fort Clayton, Canal Zone, Panama.  He was stationed also at 
Camp Pendleton, Va., and Camp Stewart, Ga. 

  At the time he was stationed in Isle of Wight County, Hemmis met and married 
his wife, the former Mrs. [sic; Miss] Ida Horne. 

  After discharge from the Army at the end of World War II, he returned to his 
home at Phillipsburg, Pa., and worked as a telephone company lineman.  He 
returned to Smithfield in January 1947 and worked as a lineman for Home 
Telephone Co., here, prior to becoming a law enforcement officer. 

  During the time he held office as Chief of Police, Hemmis attended an 
arson school, co-sponsored by the State Fire Marshal's office and insurance 
underwriters at the College of William and Mary, received training at a 
medical examiner's and scientific criminal investigation school in Norfolk 
and in fingerprint classification and identification sponsored by the Isle of 
Wight County Sheriff's Department and instructed by FBI agents from the 
Norfolk office. 

  Surviving besides his wife, Mrs. Ida H. Hemmis, are his father, David Hemmis, 
Sr., Phillipsburg, Pa., his mother, Mrs. Agnes Miller, Altoona, Pa.; one 
daughter, Miss Ida Hemmis of Smithfield; a step-daughter, Mrs. Ann Greer, 
Smithfield; a step-son, Albert R. Gale of Richmond; one sister, Mrs. Peg Hanes 
of Clearfield, Pa.; one brother, John Hemmis, Allentown, Pa.; and five 
grandchildren. 

  Pallbearers were Joseph King, Dr. B.F. Jamison, A.E.S. Stephens, Col. James 
O. Branch, Robert W. Wright, Don C. King, and Rodham T. Delk. 

[photo, captioned:] 
David Hemmis, Jr. 


David HEMMIS, Jr., Smithfield Chief of Police, Army veteran of WW-II, 
b. 5 Sep 1919, Phillipsburg, PA, d. 17 Oct 1963, Suffolk, 
interred in St. Luke's Memorial Park*, Benns Church, 19 Oct 1963, 
"Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 41, No. 259, Fri., Oct. 18, 1963, p. 2; 
"Smithfield (VA) Times," Vol. 44, No. 43, Thurs., Oct. 24, 1963, p. 1 

*Additional information: 

Isle of Wight County Historical Society {IWCHS} 
   Grave Site Survey Task Force {GSSTF} report #18: 
   http://www.iwchs.com/Cemetery-Reports.html 

Photos of his gravestone & plot - added by Hixburg23958 - are posted with 
   Find a Grave Memorial #187791447. 

D.Cert. 29410 (Chuckatuck #340) 

His parents are buried in Grandview Cemetery, Morrisdale, Clearfield Co., PA. 


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File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/obits/h520d1ob.txt