Gregory Gerard Dempsey passed from this world on July 21, 2014 after a 3 week struggle w/ complications from cardiac arrest. He went out riding high in the saddle, playing drums on stage w/ the band he recently joined, happy to be performing again. Our drummer extraordinaire had a grand passion for life & music; he was all Heart & Soul. Greg Dempsey, a resident of Clifton, NJ for many years, was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn NY on July 3, 1959. Moving soon after to New Jersey, he spent his early years & adolescence in River Edge, NJ. He attended St Peter the Apostle Elementary & River Dell High School. He played & watched sports, especially baseball, & loved the water. Summer days were spent at the ball field or the River Edge Swim Club. His professional career was at Bergen Regional Medical Center where he was a pressman in the Print Shop. He also worked at Clores Flowers in Upper Montclair, NJ. Leading a vibrant life, Greg had particular passions which he cherished. He started playing drums at age 11 and performed thru his life w/ a number of diverse bands. He regularly played & collaborated w/ his brother Stephen, best buddy & guitarist. They shared an encyclopedic knowledge of music ranging from Rock & Roll (A-Ronka, Ronka, i.e. Tumbling Dice) to Blues to Jazz to old school Frank Sinatra. Greg loved to play & did it well. Ginger Baker would say, he had "the gift of time". Another passion of Greg's: politics & world affairs. A day in his life was not complete w/out the Daily News & Huff Post. His knowledge of current & historical events was extensive. Greg would have been an ideal replacement for someone he greatly admired: Tim Russert on Meet the Press. Sports were also a passion, particularly the New York Yankees, Giants & Rangers. And again, when it came to sports, he knew his stuff. Win or lose, his loyalties never changed. Friends & Family meant everything to Greg. His life-long buddies from childhood kept close to him & surrounded him in his final days. His family was always close to his heart. His finest hours in recent years were spent w/ his nephew Stephen & niece Katherine who adored him. Greg coached baseball w/ the Clifton Midget League, attended 5am hockey, cheered on the little cheerleader, shouted at soccer games, & became their favorite babysitter. He loved these kids. Greg is survived by his loving mother Josephine "Jo D" & husband Rodney Brown; sisters Diane, Michele & husband Shelly, & Lauren; brother Stephen John Jr & wife Diana; nieces & nephews Jessica, Paul, Stephen John III, & Katherine. He is pre-deceased by beloved father, Stephen John Dempsey. MEMORIAL SERVICES on Saturday August 2, 2014 will all be held at St Philip the Apostle Parish, 797 Valley Road in Clifton NJ. Parking on site. MASS at 12 Noon in St. Philip's Church. MEMORIAL Celebration of Life, following mass, 1pm to 5pm in Msgr Molloy Parish Center, on church grounds. In lieu of flowers, donations in Greg's name may be made to Derek Jeter's Foundation: Your donation helps the Turn 2 Foundation continue its mission of creating and supporting signature programs and activities that motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and "TURN 2" healthy lifestyles. Turn 2's goal is to see the children of these programs grow safely and successfully into adulthood and become the leaders of tomorrow. Turn 2 Foundation, Inc. 215 Park Avenue South Suite 1905 New York, NY 10003 online: mlb.mlb.com/players/jeter_derek/turn2/index.jsp