Robert “Bobby” Dempsey

The family of Robert Lynn “Bobby” Dempsey will celebrate his life of 45 years at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers. The family will host a time of fellowship and remembrance from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday, October 26, 2020, Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers. Bobby passed on, Friday, October 23, 2020. In support of the health of his family, face coverings are mandatory while attending the service and visitation.  The service will be live-streamed and be available for thirty days on this page, where you are encouraged to sign the virtual guestbook and share memories and expressions of sympathy.Bobby was born on February 3, 1975, to Thomas Keith and Sharon (Chadwell) Dempsey in Lubbock, TX.Bobby was born on a cold night when his Daddy was delivering a load to California.  He barely weighed 5 pounds, but he was a fighter from then on.  He went from 5 pounds and 20 inches long to 180 pounds and 6’3″ in fourteen years.  He loved playing Little League baseball, being a Cub Scout and Boy Scout, and going anywhere with his Daddy in the truck.  Keith would not take Bobby until he was four.  He wanted him potty trained and old enough to learn what knobs and switches on the dashboard not to touch.  Until the age of 16, Bobby spent many hours going with Keith in the truck to the West Coast.The next step in Bobby’s life was go-kart racing.  He was a very good go-kart driver, learned to work on it himself, and won a lot of races.  Then came car racing.  He had three street stock cars in that career and loved every minute of it.  After he won the track season championship in 1995, he moved up to sprint cars.  This was the height of Bobby’s racing program because he really loved his sprint cars and wanted to race them with his Dad. Sharon was his only pit crew member at various races after his Dad passed away.  When she forgot to replace tear-offs on his helmet in Oklahoma City, he almost fired her.  He raced competitively in the American Sprint Car Series for several years until he decided to pursue other interests.In Bobby’s next venture, he had two wonderful mentors and friends, Harold and Tommy Wilkins, who taught him the necessary aspects of being a buying broker and transporter of produce.  Bobby used his skills learned from the Wilkins after they closed their business to work for Jody Heath as a truck broker and dispatcher. When the Heath’s relocated their business to Dallas, Bobby started driving a truck just like his Dad.  Guy helped him by maintaining the truck and trailer in good operating order.  Bobby knew he could call Guy 24/7 to solve any problems.  Bobby opened a truck brokerage firm in Lubbock under the mentorship of Marlon Coffman.  Bobby was well blessed to have worked under the guidance of these incredible men.  He treasured his friendship with all of them.In his spare time, he enjoyed watching sprint car racing and playing with the dogs –Shadow, Dusty, Bait, and Scrappy. Sharon, Guy, and Bobby made lots of fond memories during their several annual trips together to Las Vegas for truck shows. He also enjoyed gardening with Monica in their backyard and going on trips to nearby casinos.  Towards the end of his life, he enjoyed spending time with Monica, friends, and family that stopped by to reminisce about all their fun times together.  He always loved jokes and truckers’ stories.  The cousins are really going to miss him and his teasing at all the family events. Bobby loved his sister, Lanann, and liked to tell the story of the time they bought a ten-foot-tall Christmas tree for the eight-foot ceiling in the house.Bobby had a very giving heart, helping his friends and family with any emergency no matter what time of the day or night it happened.Survivors include his mother, Sharon Dempsey; brother, Guy Dempsey; sister, Lanann Dempsey; girlfriend, Monica Gray; nephews, Shawn Puckett and Marcus Dempsey; nieces, Erin Dempsey, Amanda Williamson and husband Tye, and Kristin Dill and husband Ryan.He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas Keith Dempsey, and brothers David Dempsey and Keith Dempsey, Jr.