Darrell Dean Dempster

Captain Darrell D. Dempster, USN (Ret) of Annapolis, Maryland, passed away peacefully on August 15th, at the age of 97. He was predeceased in 2021 by his wife of 64 years, Sally Strott Dempster, and in 1961 by his infant daughter, Deborah Jean. He was the proud father of Charles Edwin (Eddie) Dempster (Eva), Diane Marie Stanko (Carl), David Andrew Dempster (Dawn) and Holly Dempster Phillips. He is also survived by nine grandchildren: Michelle, Jason (Sarah), and Eric (Paige) Stanko; Mitchell, Brooke, Cody, Reagan and Greer Dempster; Nicole Phillips; great granddaughter, Naomi Stanko; and, his younger brother, John Dempster.

Born in Hutchinson Kansas on April 9, 1929, he spent his school age days in Wichita, Kansas, the oldest of five children born to Edwin and Catharine Boehme Dempster. He loved his deep Kansas roots with his life and character being strongly influenced by the Great Depression and The Dust Bowl.

Darrell enlisted in the US Navy in January 1948 after one semester at Wichita University. He was assigned to Treasure Island in San Francisco. While there, he applied to the US Naval Preparatory School in Bainbridge, MD. He was appointed to and graduated from the US Naval Academy Class of 1953. He subsequently earned a post graduate degree and served for 28 years in Supply Chain and Project Management.

With his wife and growing family, he was stationed first in Yokosuka, Japan, followed by Philadelphia PA, Monterey CA, Washington, DC, Pleasant Hill CA, Coronado CA, and, then, back to Washington, DC until his retirement in 1981. He was also deployed twice to the Tonkin Gulf, off the coast of Vietnam. Through his Navy career, church mission trips, and vacations, he traveled the world and took pleasure in seeing new places, meeting new people, and experiencing new cultures.

An avid volunteer, he especially enjoyed supporting and offering his time and talents to The Tanzanian Task Force (providing water via wells in Tanzania), St Martin’s Lutheran Church, and The Seafarers of Baltimore.

He loved competing in local and National Senior Olympics and watching a wide range of sporting events. Darrell continued to go to Navy Football games with friends and family throughout the latest season and was the last man standing (or sitting in his Zoomer wheelchair) for the Class of ‘53 tailgates.

He was an excellent photographer and writer. As the family genealogist with a steel trap mind, he diligently documented the generations of lives for both his and Sally’s families. He used family interviews, family tree charts, census information, scrapbooks, journals, his memoir (Dead Broke), and thick binders to gather and share information.

For the last five years, Darrell missed Sally dearly and he gathered her journals, poems, and scattered notes to create the book In God’s Hands, which showcased her spirit and spirituality. He continued to try and fill her void with book writing and publishing. When asked recently what was best about his life, he quickly responded that it was Sally, with whom he is now reunited.

Up until almost his dying day, he was able to stay in his Annapolis home. It took a village of caregivers and family members to allow him to do this. The Dempster siblings are eternally grateful to his special caregivers, their agencies, his daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and to each other for rallying together to grant him this wish.

A celebration of life will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, August 29th, followed by lunch at St Martin’s Lutheran Church, 1120 Spa Rd, Annapolis, MD 21403.

On August 31, 2026 at 11:00 am, a family burial service will be held at The Baltimore National Cemetery in Catonsville, MD where Darrell will be laid to rest with Sally, and alongside their infant daughter, Deborah.

To honor Darrell, please give a silent salute to something that brings you joy.