Obituary of Patricia Dempsey

In Memory of
Patricia A. Dempsey
1936 - 2020

Patricia A. Dempsey (nee Vahey) passed away at home on June 26, 2020 surrounded by her loved ones, after a courageous battle with cancer. Beloved wife of 51 years of the late Ed Dempsey, together they lovingly raised their seven children (Eddie, Maureen, Cathy, Patty, Liz, Jeanne and John) in Brooklyn, the place Pat dearly loved and proudly lived her entire life.

Born to the late John and Agnes Vahey on September 17, 1936 in Prospect Heights Hospital, Pat was a middle child of four. She cherished her three siblings, the late Peggy Fitzgerald, the late Ann Rosenhous and the late Jim Vahey, and they were all a great source of strength and support to each other during their lives.

Pat was blessed to have met and married her one true love, Ed. Together they made a great team, squeezing the most fun and joy out of their lives, and carrying each other through the inevitable sorrows. She embraced becoming part of the Dempsey extended family and grew to love them as she did her own. She treasured her relationships with her sisters-in-law, Nancy Vahey, Mary Kane, Sr. Margaret Dempsey and the late Joanie O'Neill, as well as her relationships with her many nieces and nephews on both the Vahey and Dempsey sides of her family.

She lovingly welcomed the additions to her family of daughters-in-law Barbara (Eddie) and Tricia (John), as well as sons-in-law Tommy (Cathy), Ken (Liz) and Jimmy (Jeanne). And of course her thirteen grandchildren, Taylor, Kelly, Matt, Thomas, Cara, Erin, Casey, (big) Sean, James, Ryan, Nora, Kevin and (little) Sean, who all became the apple of her eye. She relished every minute she got to spend with her husband, her children and their spouses, and her grandchildren.

Pat had many groups of friends, beginning with the friends she met in high school, to her “crowd” friends, her Little Flower friends, her friends from Marine Parkway and Good Shepherd, her friends from the law firm and her friends from the co-op. She treasured them all, and they were always there for one another. There to listen to each other's joys and sorrows, and there to lend a helping hand whenever needed.

Although family and friends occupied the center of Pat's life, she worked as a secretary in the FBI before marrying, and later in a law firm after her kids were a little older. She was an avid Brooklyn Dodgers fan, but after the Dodgers moved out of Brooklyn adopted the New York Mets to fill the hole left in her heart. Both of Pat's parents immigrated from Ireland and instilled in her a love of Irish culture. She got great pleasure from live performances of Irish music and Irish step dancing, and our recent pilgrimages to see Andy Cooney perform were highlights of her summers. She loved to visit Atlantic City to play the slots, and albeit to her husband Ed's chagrin she never “won the big one”, she did often manage to at least break even. She delighted in enjoying a glass of white wine in the company of family and friends. Pat was a woman of strong faith, who dedicated her life to loving and helping others. She will be forever loved, and will be missed more than she could even imagine.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May Patricia's soul and all the
souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God,
Rest In Peace.
Amen.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the wake will be limited to immediate family. In accordance with the Phase 2 reopening guidelines for New York, church attendance will be limited to 25 percent occupancy with all social distancing protocols in place. All church attendees will be required to wear masks. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in these matters.

A Funeral Mass for Pat will be held on Thursday, July 2 at 9:45am at Good Shepherd RC Church, 1950 Batchelder St., Brooklyn, NY 11229. Following mass, internment will be at St John Cemetery, Queens.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:
CWA Local 1101 Ed Dempsey Scholarship Fund,
1703 Castle Hill Ave, Bronx, NY 10462.