Michael Cameron Dempsey was a remarkable person.
From an early age, Michael’s scholarship distinguished his special mind. He was chosen for a talented and gifted program in elementary school. He won academic awards in high school and college and a prestigious graduate fellowship in Europe. He was chosen to give the graduation address for his class at the Taubman School of Urban Planning, University of Michigan, in 2003. He earned two masters degrees and strongly considered seeking a Ph.D. He read extensively, was familiar with several languages, and relished philosophical debates.
He played youth baseball; in high school he competed in all swim strokes but specialized in the butterfly. He loved long walks and made the activity a regular part of his adult experience. He was passionate about travel – his first solo trip with a driver’s license was to Metro Airport to watch planes landing and taking off, dreaming of trips he could eventually take.
He – Michael to his family, Mike to his friends – had an amazing dry sense of humor. He loved to tease his sister. He enjoyed acting silly when it was least expected. He loved to laugh and was blessed with a sense of humor that could make his family members laugh until they were crying.
He was an extraordinarily talented author who loved to write. His journals encompass a decade of adult life. He wrote a blog while in Iraq that its readers enjoyed. One of his dreams was achieved by publication in March 2014 of the book Castles in the Sand: A City Planner in Abu Dhabi.
Techno music and movie making were additional creative outlets.
His outstanding character won him many friendships. He was blessed with the qualities of honor, strength, humility, and patience and the gifts of compassion, determination, gentleness, and benevolence. He was eminently lovable. A cute child, he only became more handsome the older he became. At six feet tall with deep brown eyes and matching hair, lanky and lean, he had a striking physique.
He had the moral courage to go places where many would not.
Above all, Michael was a devoted Christian. His journals are full of prayers and spiritual thoughts. He chose to participate in a number of mission works. His work in the Middle East was in significant part related to bringing the message of Christ. He was driven to do good. He was devoted to his Lord.
Michael was born May 26, 1980, in Lansing, Michigan. His first name derived from the middle name of his father and first name of a grandfather. His middle name was the birth name of a grandmother. He lived in East Lansing, Plymouth, and Detroit in Michigan, as well as in Germany, Iraq, Abu Dhabi, and Afghanistan. He died August 11, 2013; burial was in Riverside Cemetery in his hometown of Plymouth. His 33 years were rich with experience, selfless giving, and accomplishment.
His family and friends have pledged to keep his memory evergreen.