Dempsey Lee Orndorff Jr

Dempsey Lee Orndorff Jr., age 72, originally from Grottoes, Virginia, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. Dempsey was born Sept. 22, 1947, in Baltimore, Maryland to Dempsey Lee Orndorff Sr. and Shirley (Hagais) Orndorff. He was raised in Grottoes, Virginia by Charles Alan Morris and Ruby Mae (Miller) Morris.

Dempsey attended Montevideo High School and was an original member (drummer) of The Big Beats rock band in the mid-60s. He also served during Vietnam in the U.S. Navy from 1966-1970 aboard the USS DeHaven DD-727.

Following his time in the military, he was a member of The American Legion as well as the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a devoted Catholic and spent his time as a Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus and a member of Our Lady of the Rosary in Land O Lakes, Florida.

Dempsey is survived by his wife of 16 years, Dorothy (Dotti) Orndorff; daughters, Michelle (Dobbs) Heidorf and her husband, Thomas Heidorf IV of Haslet, Texas, Nicole (Dobbs) Callaghan and her husband, Patrick of Winder, Georgia; stepdaughter, Beth Toland and her partner, Yann Schwermer; brother Edward "Eddie" Alan Morris and his wife, Denise (Sampson) of Waynesboro, Virginia; grandchildren, Thomas Heidorf V, Sarah Lane, Cami Gravatt, Samantha Ericson, Riley Callaghan, and Sonne Schwermer; great grandchildren, Thomas Heidorf VI, Robert Byerly, Jacob Byerly and Kaden Couch.