In 2011, Hempel's daughter, Liv Hempel, said, "In hindsight, I believe that the reason De Valera called to the house was out of friendship... He visited because he knew my father, and the condolences were to my father because his position [as envoy to Ireland] was finished. Hitler’s death didn’t mean a damn thing to my father; he was happy about it – like we are happy about Osama bin Laden."