Former Illinois-Born NCAA President Cedric Dempsey And Wife June Endured Heartbreaking Loss Of Two Kids

April 7, 2026

This article was last updated by Manoj Gadtaula on April 7, 2026

Cedric Dempsey, the former president of the NCAA, passed away on 5 April in San Diego at the age of 92.

Before becoming the NCAA president, he played a key role in turning Arizona into a strong athletic program as the school’s athletic director.

During his nine years as NCAA president, he helped the organization grow financially and made changes, like moving its headquarters and securing huge television deals worth billions.

Cedric Dempsey Married June Dempsey In 1955, And Since Then, She Has Been By His Side Throughout His Cancer Days

During this challenging time, NCAA President Charlie Baker and Senior Vice President for Basketball Dan Gavitt expressed their heartfelt condolences to Cedric Dempsey’s wife, June, and the entire Dempsey family.

Cedric and his wife, June, shared 69 years of marriage and lived in La Jolla, California.

Despite facing many health challenges, including surviving three battles with cancer and undergoing two heart surgeries, Cedric remained strong alongside his wife.

Their journey, however, has been marked by deep sorrow as .

Their son David passed away in 1997, and their daughter Marcia also died in 2026 in Tucson, leaving the family to cope with these heartbreaking losses.

Through it all, Cedric and June supported each other.

Well, Dempsey’s capacity to withstand the struggling phase came from his early years in Equality, Illinois, a small town with just 800 people, and later in Wayne, Michigan, where he lived with his mother after his father was no longer in the picture.

To make ends meet, he worked as a janitor and dishwasher. Growing up, he dreamed of becoming a baseball star, idolizing Hall of Famer Stan Musial.

Eventually, his talent earned him a spot as a high school all-star player.

Even after being diagnosed with lymphoma in 1985, Dempsey didn’t give up.

He had lost 20 to 30 pounds, and his hair had fallen.

Despite his physical changes, Dempsey’s strength remained evident, and throughout his fight, his wife, June, was by his side, providing unwavering support.

In Case You Didn’t Know

• Dempsey played a key role in building a powerhouse at Arizona by hiring top coaches like Lute Olson, Mike Candrea, Frank Busch, Dick Tomey, Dave Rubio, and Joan Bonvicini.
• When Dempsey was introduced at a press conference during the 1982 football training camp, he spoke realistically about the challenges ahead.
• In March 1983, Dempsey boldly moved, hiring Lute Olson from Iowa in 48 hours.

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