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Popular Christian radio show host Rob Dempsey has died, one week after breaking the news to his devoted fans that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 bladder cancer.
He was 57.
“Rob Dempsey, HIS Radio Station Manager and co-host of Rob and Lizz in the Morning, went to be with Jesus on Wednesday evening, October 23rd,” HisAir radio station announced on Facebook Thursday.
The station also told listeners that Dempsey died when he went into cardiac arrest after being hospitalized for emergency surgery.
“He always had us laughing. His fingerprints are all over this place. He was not just a boss, he was a leader, an encourager. He made such an impact to the community and Greenville,” a radio host at the station said during a Thursday broadcast, according to WMBF News.
“We lost him but heaven gained such an incredible person. He’s celebrating with Jesus.”
He had been with HisAir for 24 years.
Dempsey shocked his fans when he announced that he was diagnosed with “aggressive” stage 3 bladder cancer on Facebook on Oct. 15.
“Thankfully I’m at peace today knowing God is in control,” the devoted Christian radio host assured fans in his post.
“The days ahead will be tough and that’s ok. I am determined to be a dad there for his kids. I’m determined to be that grandpa who will watch them grow up, graduate and get married. I want to grow old with my wife who has been a rock through all of this junk.”
Dempsey previously shared with HisAir that his start in radio “began as a homeless teenager, addicted to drugs and alcohol” when a youth pastor “introduced” him to the Christian radio station WCIE in Lakeland, FL.
“One night while leaving a bar WCIE was on the radio. I had given up on life. Dave Stewart reached out over the radio. It was as if he was speaking to me. ‘God loves you’ he said ‘He will never leave you nor forsake you,’” Dempsey shared.
“He prayed the sinner’s prayer and at that moment I rededicated my life to Christ. Then I prayed another prayer. ‘God, I want to do what that guy on the radio is doing.’”
Following the revelation, Dempsey got clean and began his path working in radio, which spanned 35 years.
He started his career in various production roles before becoming a volunteer DJ in Tampa, near his hometown of St. Petersburg, Fla., and later became the operations and program director for HIS Radio in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
The long-time radio host had battled obesity and lost 140 pounds over the years.
Dempsey leaves behind his wife, Amy, four children, Wes, Amanda, Spencer, and Elijah, and two grandchildren, Jackson and Grace.
His son, Spencer, thanked fans and the community for their outpouring of support in the wake of his father’s death in a Facebook post on Thursday.
“He was a great man, and I’m proud to call him my Dad,” he wrote.
“Today I’m brokenhearted, yet hopeful of this promise. He’s whole, he’s healthy, and he’s dancing with his Saviour. Everything he did was aimed at bringing God glory, and only God knows how many lives he’s touched. I love you dad, I’ll see you soon. Well done.”
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