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Chad Dempsey, a beloved music educator, father, husband and friend will be forever remembered for his passion and dedication to inspire everyone around him, even while fighting cancer.
After a two-year battle with brain cancer, Dempsey, 48, died on Saturday.
He was surrounded by his family at his residence in Edinburg.
Being an inspiration for countless individuals in his life, his appreciation for music and education has influenced many people and will resonate through his teachings and care for students for generations to come.
Dempsey wrote in the April 2023 magazine issue of Southwestern Musician by the Texas Music Educators Association that his education philosophy was to inspire, improve and help grow students bit by bit, one percent at a time.
“I am frequently asked about my reaction to my diagnosis, and my answer is a simple one,” Dempsey wrote. “I smile, I work to inspire others, and in return, I watch the ripple effect of that choice. I have been at work everyday since October 28—brain tumor and all. Why? In my experience, teaching students how to smile and how to be appreciative and kind add up to a greater purpose and are the best lessons I can offer them. We must live life for today!”
Dempsey has been with Edinburg CISD since 2000 and served as the band director for the Edinburg North High School Mighty Cougar Band. He is an alumni of the University of Kansas and was a proud member of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Also starting in the district in 2000 alongside Dempsey was Jessica Savino, who worked with him until 2021.
Fostering a professional and personal friendship over 20 years, Savino, getting emotional over the phone, said they have been through their best times and worst times together.
“He was a great family man, he’s just a great person,” she said. “They had a vigil at Edinburg North And I think it’s just a true testament on how the kids respected him and loved him because there were so many ex-students from our first years teaching and recent grads and kids currently in the program.”
Savino said one of his best qualities was his “Why not?” approach in band and in life.
“Why can’t our kids, you know, be great at things,” Savino said “He was never afraid to ask people like, college professors and you know, professional musicians … to come and clinic our band. He always said that we can always learn from other people … because of that he treated people good and people always said, ‘yes’ and we always had clinicians coming into the band hall all the time. And the kids were always taught by people who are great at the profession,”
Building a positive and inspiring culture, Dempsey was diagnosed in 2022 but he kept working to inspire and teach students until December.
“When he got diagnosed, his approach was just amazing,” she said. “Anytime anybody would be like ‘I’m having a bad day’, you’re like, ‘Oh, my gosh, Chad’s over there, you know, being super positive and inspiring,’ and it would kind of just snap you out of, like, OK, shake it off. You can do this, you know, Chad’s doing this.”
Savino said she will always be grateful for his friendship and the amount of love and pride they had when they would walk the field together with the marching band.
Diogo Perales, a student of Dempsey from 2019-2023, is one of the countless students that felt his inspiration and passion.
Recalling his favorite memories, one that sticks with him is the conversation they had when Perales wasn’t feeling confident about an audition for a professional marching group
“He told me ‘If you go in there, be confident, show them the kind of person you are, you’re going to do great things’ … hearing him like, tell me that that I was in a position that I deserve to be in and that I’m going to continue to be a leader like down the road like in life, it meant a lot.”
Currently studying music education at UTRGV and hoping to become a band director, he credits the passion that he saw Dempsey display day in and day out.
Last year, still dealing with his struggles, Perales said Dempsey had the courage to show up as often as he could for rehearsals and even conducted the band at a UIL competition, wearing formal attire and his signature sunflower cap. He said it was something really special to see after a long year he pulled through until the very end of the year.
The band would win Division 1 in Concert and Sight Reading Evaluation.
Dempsey is survived by his wife, Sonia Dempsey, and his two children, Sophia Elena Dempsey and Oliver Connor Dempsey.
Funeral visitation will be on Sunday, May 5 at Legacy Chapels 4610 South Jackson Road in Edinburg from 4 to 9 p.m. with a 7 p.m. Celebration of Life service.
Chapel service will be at 3 p.m. Monday, May 6, at Legacy Chapels in Edinburg with Interment following at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Edinburg.