My Dad Has Passed

First, I want to apologize to my viewers because I haven’t posted anything on my blog for nearly a month. You see, my Dad, David Dempsey, has passed. He made it to 92, something many of us would gladly take. 

My Mom, Beverly Dempsey, is still hanging in there at the age of 90, and hopefully, she will be around for quite some time. 

Start of a Great Relationship

So, it’s pretty interesting how Dad and Mom got together. They met while stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia during the Korean War. However, it was a bit of a rocky start for the two. Dad thought he was supposed to meet Mom for their first date, but Mom was under the impression that it was merely a chance meeting and nothing more.

After their signals were mixed up, Dad confronted Mom to ask why she stood him up, whereas it was just a mix-up in communication. Right off the bat, they began to date, and around six weeks later, they married. Talk about a successful relationship; they were married for 69 years! This is not a recommendation for other couples, but it just so happens that they hit it off. I guess, if you know, you know.

My Dad, the Salesman

With a little arm-twisting, Dad agreed to move with Mom to Southern California. Dad embarked on a successful career as a salesman. He was a natural, especially when he got out of his chair as an indoor salesman and got into outside sales. Among other things, he sold steel to companies that were building freeways. I remember going with my Dad where the Riverside Freeway, or now known as “the 91,” was being built.

As a little boy, I visited many construction sites with my Dad. I always credited my Dad as the best driver I’ve ever seen. Yes, I am a little biased here, but so what? I remember when Dad had to get to Barstow for a meeting. We were speeding down the freeway at 80 mph in a sandstorm. Drivers were pulling over left and right. My Dad? We kept going in virtual zero visibility. Fortunately, we made it on time.

Giving Me the Support

Later in life, Dad was a big part of my journalism career. My parents moved to Northern California then, and they convinced me I should head north, too. Trying to break into the sports journalism market in Los Angeles was nearly impossible. So I took their offer and headed north, where I stayed for many years.

Dad helped me get around when I began my career with the Vallejo Times-Herald during the heyday of sports journalism in the late 1970s. 

So, I learned many things from Dad that I used in journalism, especially doing interviews. You see, Dad had a great personality and was honest about what he was selling, and I wanted to do the same with the sources I created over the years. I did pretty well over the years, and that’s thanks to my Dad.

I’m going to miss you, Dad. RIP.