Obituary of John Charles Dempsey

John C. Dempsey "Jack" (71) Lawyer, husband and father, Jack died suddenly on January 10 at the Reston Hospital having suffered a stroke. Former General Counsel to AFSCME, a nationwide labor organization with 1.5 million workers in the public sector and health care field, Jack retired in April after 38 years. During that time, Jack's aggressive voice for advocacy gave power to working men, women and families. Jack was instrumental in establishing the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee, and Jack was deeply involved in the Florida and recent Virginia recount campaigns. Throughout his career, Jack was active with Irish-American organizations. Since his retirement, Jack has pursued his passion for golf (proudly being crowned the Senior Champion at his club) and enjoyed time with his family. He is survived by his wife Joanna Newman; children Joel Dempsey; Justin and Amy Saunders; Jennifer Dempsey; Jason and Rachel Dempsey; Ethan and Jessica Hedayat; his sister Katie and Barry Richardson; and 6 grandchildren. The family will receive friends at Christ The Redeemer Church in Sterling, VA on Tuesday from 9-11am with Funeral Services scheduled for 11am.