Emily L. (Hinshaw) Emonin of Naples, Florida, formerly of Fairfield, passed away on July 30, 2026, in Naples. She was born February 3, 1947, to Kermit and Janet (Trigg) Hinshaw at the Jefferson County Hospital in Fairfield, Iowa, the oldest daughter and second of four children.
Emily grew up on a farm near Richland, Iowa, and graduated in 1965 from Pekin High School. She went on to earn her bachelor’s (1969) and master’s (1975) degrees in speech pathology from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State).
Emily married John Emonin on June 6, 1969, at the Richland Evangelical Friends Church in Richland, Iowa. To this union a daughter, Lorraine, was born on September 25, 1970. They lived in Richland until moving to Fairfield, Iowa, in 1979. In later years, she lived in Marion, Iowa, finally moving to Naples, Florida, to be near her family.
Emily worked in public schools, hospitals, home health care, and private speech services throughout Southern Iowa her entire career. Her expertise in autism and brain injury (her greatest passion) was recognized throughout the state.
In 2001, she was appointed to the Iowa Governor’s Advisory Council on Brain Injury, where she served until 2011 as both a member and chairman. In total, Emily served 38 years in Iowa schools, followed by five years in private practice. She received numerous awards and recognitions throughout her career.
As a faithful follower of Christ, one of her greatest joys was serving Jesus and sharing his love with others. Through her years as a dedicated servant, she directed church youth programs, such as Vacation Bible School and CYC, and she developed and taught numerous Sunday School classes and Bible Studies. Emily considered teaching the Word of God a great privilege. She attended and was a member of evangelical churches throughout her life. Her final church home was First Church of the Nazarene (Journey Church) in Naples, Florida.
Emily was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her brother, John Hinshaw. She is survived by her daughter, Lorraine (Don) Potter of Naples; four grandsons, Grant Potter of Naples, Benjamin (Shaye) Potter of Greensboro, NC, Elliot Potter of Colorado Springs, CO, and Abraham Potter of Naples; one great-grandson, Boaz Potter of Greensboro, NC; her brother, Korwin (Judi) Hinshaw of Fairfield, Iowa; her sister, Sallie Hinshaw Hayes of Fairfield, Iowa, and sister-in-law, Reka Hinshaw of Ankeny, Iowa; along with several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services for Emily will be held at the Fairfield Friends Church on Saturday August 8, 2026 at 10:30 AM. Visitation will be at Fairfield Friends Church on Friday August 7, 2026, and will open at 2:00 PM with family present 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Burial will be at the Richland Friends Cemetery following the services. Memorials in Emily’s honor may be made to the Richland Friends Cemetery, Brain Injury Alliance of Iowa (BIAIA), Autism Society of Iowa (ASI) or the Christian Harness Horse Association (CHHA). These may be left at the church or mailed to the family at 3553 Pilot Circle, Naples, Florida 34120. Friends may leave online condolences at www.cranstonfamilyfuneralhome.com
