Oceania Football Patriarch Charlie Dempsey was farewelled at St Columba Church in Auckland in a moving tribute from a large turnout of more than 600 friends and family.
The former OFC Presidents life was celebrated from his childhood days in Scotland through to yesterday’s service – conducted by a Catholic Priest in a Presbyterian church.
Speakers from all facets of Dempsey’s life spoke at the funeral including OFC General Secretary Tai Nicholas, Fiji FA President Dr M.S. Sahu Kahn, NZ Football Chairman Frank Van Hattum and New Zealand’s 1982 World Cup coaching staff of John Adhsead and Kevin Fallon among others.
In a touching Eulogy Peter Clapshaw described Dempsey’s life as “a long and successful innings – though cricket was not his sport. He said that Charlie’s life fell into four categories “family, business, sport and football.”
“Charlie was possibly the most outstanding administrator sport in New Zealand has ever known, and I would not be surprised if he is already on his way to organising heaven,” Clapshaw said.
Nicholas noted the great turnout was credit to the many different lives Charlie touched in welcoming friends and family from OFC, Japan and Europe.
One of Dempsey’s nephews, Fred Drubber, listed a handful of the famous people his uncle had spent time with, reeling off names such as Prince Charles, football great Pele, Sean Connery, Sophia Loren, Tony Blair, the Pope and Henry Kissinger.
"Given his Irish background [Dempsey's father was Irish], the family were impressed he had met the Pope," said Dubber. "Charlie preferred to talk more about Sophia Loren."
Dubber spoke of a business house league that Dempsey used to play in which summed up his strong personality.
“In the team Charlie was the selector and captain ....... and it was Charlie’s ball.”
David Delay from the Remuera Golf Club spoke of Dempsey’s love for Golf and his achievements in being Club Captain and President as well as posting an impressive handicap of 4 during his peak. Yesterday club members formed one of two guards of honour.
Dr M.S Sahu Kahn spoke of Dempsey’s great humility and how he never wanted publicity. “He wanted to call the OFC headquarters the Dr Havelange Academy and we had to get a counter motion passed at the OFC Executive congress to name it the Charles J. Dempsey Academy.”
“I will always remember the way that he would visit the small island countries and towns, no matter how small and do it with such enthusiasm,” Dr Sahu Kahn added. In a further tribute, 1982 World Cup coach John Adshead simply said: "He fought for us all - here and abroad. He fought for me and gave me the greatest opportunity any coach can have - the chance to take a team into the World Cup."
And many of those players who went with Dempsey, Adshead and Fallon to Spain in 1982 were there yesterday to pay their respects to a man who had given them all that chance.
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