WILLIAM ALEXANDER DEMPSEY -

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WILLIAM ALEXANDER DEMPSEY 1919 - 2008 Bill Dempsey died peacefully on August 15 of age-related causes following three months of increasing weakness. He is survived by Evelyn Calvert, his wife of 34 years and her family; his children by the late Jean Bond, Bill (Savannah), David (High River), Shawna (Winnipeg) and their families; and devoted friends of all ages. A graduate of United College, Bill served as an Army Lieutenant in the Second World War before going on to the University of Toronto to study Social Work and Town Planning, he had appointments with the Ontario Government in the Community Planning and Housing Branches and was Secretary to two Parliamentary Committees on rent control. He served as special assistant to the Honourable Walter Dinsdale, Federal Minister of Northern Affairs, and perhaps his proudest accomplishment was organizing the first Dawson City Festival in 1963. Latterly he was Executive Assistant to the Director and Superintendent of Board Services for the North York Board of Education, at that time the largest in the country. He continued his commitment to his colleagues at the Board as President Emeritus of the North York Non-Teaching Retirees' Association. Much of Bill's life was devoted to activism. He worked tirelessly for innumerable causes including wetland preservation and pedestrian access to eastern Scarborough's waterfront. In 1999, Toronto City Council honoured his dedication by creating the William Alexander Dempsey Eco Park Willowlea Wetland. Bill Dempsey had two spiritual homes. One was Scarborough: the acre of land beside the Centennial Creek where he lived for over 50 years, the Highland Creek community, and Centennial Road United Church. The other was Gregg, Manitoba: the farm on which he was born and owned until his death, mere miles from the homestead his grandfather claimed in the 1870s. Bill proudly thought of himself as a farmer and loved his land. His latter years were spent in the warm embrace of the town of Carberry, where his funeral will be held on Tuesday, August 19 at 2:00 p.m. at the United Church. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society or the United Church Mission and Services Fund.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 16, 2008