John 'Jack' Dempsey Jr., 78, former shipyard boilermaker

IF THERE were a mess of hard-shell crabs on the table and Jack Dempsey was present, you would have been advised to step aside.

"My brother could eat a bushel of hard-shell crabs all by himself," said his sister, Patricia George. "He would have cooked them himself. He loved to cook."

Jack's reported consumption of this sea delicacy might have been slightly exaggerated, but it testifies to Jack's love of life, and his appreciation of its bounty.

John "Jack" Dempsey Jr., onetime boilermaker for the old Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, a security officer at Philadelphia International Airport and a Marine Corps veteran, died Oct. 19 of complications of dementia. He was 78 and living in Bedford, Texas, but had lived most of his life in West Philadelphia.

Jack grew up on Budd Street in West Philly, playing halfball with his buddies. It was one of those close-knit neighborhoods where everybody knew everybody and formed a mutual-assistance bond.

He was born to John Dempsey Sr. and Lucille Dempsey, and graduated from Overbrook High School. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in February 1956 and served stateside.

Jack worked for a time in maintenance for Smith, Kline & French before joining the shipyard at the Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station in the early 1970s.

He worked as a boilermaker for more than 20 years. After his retirement, he went with Covenant Security Services, at International Plaza at the airport.

"Jack was a people person and he enjoyed his job there, as he liked working, staying busy and being around people," his sister said. "He loved his family and loved the family gatherings during the holidays. His nieces and nephews loved their 'Uncle Jack.' "

Jack was baptized at Monumental Baptist Church but was not a big churchgoer. However, he loved to read the Psalm 23 - "The Lord is my shepherd . . . " He would read it aloud and emphasize key words.

He loved music and dancing, and, into his middle years, could do a split on the dance floor. He liked to dress to the nines and never went out without a hat. He enjoyed visiting his brother, Eugene, in Cape May, N.J.

Jack liked to keep up with current events and never went to work without a Daily News folded in his hands. Even when he was ill, he insisted that the newspaper be brought to him.

"He could quote you dates, times and stories that he had read in the paper," his sister said. "Of course, he was happy that an African-American was elected president.

"He was a jovial man, always joking. His favorite expression was, 'You got that right!' "

Besides his brother and sister, he is survived by a son, Derek Dempsey; a daughter, Dawn Dempsey; two other sisters, Delores Lisbon and Sandra Berry, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by another daughter, Danita Dempsey, and two other sisters, Gwendolyn Dempsey and Geraldine Gist.

Services: 11 a.m. tomorrow at Monumental Baptist Church, 50th and Locust streets. Friends may call at 9 a.m.