Russell Edward Dempsey

Russell Edward Dempsey was born April 18, 1938 in St. Louis, Missouri, the third of four children of William Leonard Dempsey and Ethel Alice Bonham Dempsey. He entered the United States Air Force at the age of 18 and served his country for 20 years, achieving the rank of Tech Sergeant as a Jet Aircraft Mechanic. He was a member of an elite team who worked with the SR-71 in both of its locations, Beale Air Force Base, California and Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Japan. He retired from the Air Force in 1976 and moved to Savannah, Georgia where he worked for 15 years at Gulfstream American as an airplane hydraulic specialist. He retired from Gulfstream in 1993 and worked as a golf marshal for Marriott’s Stone Mountain golf course in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Russ, AKA “Twinkle Toes Flintstone”, enjoyed bowling with his son- in- law Steve, coaching his son Mark’s baseball teams, going to movies every week, and he was an avid, though self admittedly average, golfer. Russ was known for his wry sense of humor, stubborn Irish will, and the simplicity with which he lived his life.

Russ died May 5, 2012 at Scott & White Memorial Hospital on hospice services. Russ is preceded in death by his parents and his brothers William Dempsey, Jr. and Samuel Dempsey. Russ is survived by his sister, Betty Dempsey Stoehr of St. Louis, Missouri; his wife, Louise Dempsey of Thomasville, Georgia; his ex- wife, Jean McRae of Orangeburg, South Carolina and their children Ellen Dempsey Hansen and her husband Steve of Temple, Texas; Kathleen Dempsey Hobbs and her husband Thomas of Savannah, Georgia; and Mark Dempsey and his wife Bonnie of Granbury, Texas. Russ was proud grandfather to Hillary Hansen Burgess and her husband Dallas of Harker Heights, Texas; Haley Hansen Brinkley and her husband Casey of Phoenix, Arizona; Kevin Hobbs and his fiancée Britt-Lea Perkins of Smyrna, Georgia; and Shelby Dempsey of Granbury, Texas. He especially enjoyed his role as great-grandfather to “princess” Alina Kaia Burgess, who always made him smile.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the McLane Children’s Hospital Scott & White at http://swchildrens.org. Family services will be held in Savannah, Georgia at a later date. Local arrangements are under the direction of Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home of Temple.