Kay Louise Hemphill Michelfeld of Warwick passed away on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021, at Garnet Medical Center in the Town of Wallkill with family by her side. She was 82 years old.
Born on Aug. 17, 1939, in Wichita, Kansas, she was the daughter of Wayne B. and Maureen (née McKay) Hemphill.
Kay grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. She graduated from Minne Lusa Grade School and Omaha North High School before earning a Master’s Degree in Philosophy from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. She was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor’s Society.
Kay was the Distance Learning Coordinator for Orange-Ulster BOCES in Goshen and was managing editor of The County Business Journals. She also taught philosophy and writing at local colleges as well as in the Orange County prison system.
Kay served for 14 years on the Warwick Valley School Board; much of that time she was board president. She stepped down in 1990.
She was also actively involved in the Warwick Democratic Party and League of Women Voters.
Kay is survived by her daughter Gretchen M. Michelfeld and her husband Keith Fadelici of Jackson Heights; son Theo Michelfeld and his partner Diane Pell of Bellvale; and daughter Penelope Malley and her husband Scott of Columbus, Ohio; five grandchildren: Gretchen, Charlotte, Kayla, Dax and Beckett; nine great-grandchildren; and nephew Mark Wolf. She was predeceased by her husband Ted Michelfeld and her sister Karen Wolf.
A memorial service will be held at Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Ave., Warwick, on Friday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. with visitation from 5 to 7 p.m.
Arrangements were made by Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home. To send an online condolence, visit www.lsvpmemorialhome.com.
While flowers are welcome, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Warwick Democratic Committee or Mercy Corps International.