Who was Rob Dempsey? Tributes pour in as Christian radio host dies of cancer
Well-known radio host Rob Dempsey has recently passed away from complications of third-stage bladder cancer on October 23, 2024. He was mostly known as the co-host of a show titled Rob & Lizz in the Morning at His Radio in Greenville, South Carolina.
The news was first revealed on the radio station a day after Rob Dempsey's demise. Notably, he was taken to the hospital following a cardiac arrest a few days ago and Dempsey announced the same through his official Instagram page on Monday, October 21.
The social media post included a photo seemingly taken from the hospital bed and the caption reads:
"I'm admittedly to the hospital has they have surgery my left kidney. It's so overcrowded at this hospital that will be in hallway. Nothing you can do – but the care from these nurses and doctors are wonderful."
After news of Rob Dempsey's death went viral, many expressed their grief online. His son Spencer shared a photo with his father on Facebook, thanking everyone who reached out.
Spencer even included a verse that Rob had been reading the previous night and it reads:
"No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."
Spencer praised his father in the end, saying that Rob left an impact on the lives of many people. On the other hand, the comments section of the post was also flooded with tributes where people recalled Rob's flawless work on the radio.
Rob Dempsey had a long list of experience in the world of radio: Career and other details explained
Rob Dempsey was active in radio for more than 30 years. According to his LinkedIn page, Rob first joined The Joy FM as a Program Director. Before that, he enrolled at the St. Petersburg Catholic High School, as revealed on his Facebook page, and further details related to his educational background are yet to be revealed.
While speaking to HisAir in the past, Rob Dempsey revealed that he battled with drugs and alcohol addiction as a teenager and he was helped by a youth pastor who introduced him to the Lakeland-based radio station, WCIE. He then joined WLPJ in North Tampa as a volunteer DJ and continued:
"God was using me to help others the same way WCIE helped me. Easter Sunday 1988 I began a part time shift at WJIS in Sarasota, Florida. It was here that I learned how to do radio. By January 1989, I became the full time overnight announcer."
In another interview with Greenville 360 in 2019, Dempsey revealed that he was thrown out of his house at the age of 16 and had permanently shifted to a trailer at one point. He also opened up on his experience of being a part of His Radio, saying that he loves to connect with everyone and meet them on different occasions.
"I also love that His Radio 89.3 has the liberty to think forward, meaning we understand how quickly technology is changing. We have a new app debuting, and we are on Amazon's Alexa and will soon be on Google Home. We are the only station in the country that streams our show not only on radio, but also on video."
He began serving as the Operations Manager for Morning Show and Program Director at His Radio in 2000. Starting in 2022, he became the Station Manager at the same radio station, where he worked until his recent demise.
Rob Dempsey's survivors include his wife Amy, who was married to him for around 33 years, alongside their four children.