Stephanie Frazier Dempsey

Stephanie Frazier Dempsey

Stephanie Frazier Dempsey passed away after a gracious and brave fight with cancer on February 26, 2021.
Stephanie was born August 23, 1956 in New Orleans, and had a happy childhood growing up in Phoenix. She attended Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University, graduating with her Bachelors of Science in Nursing.
With Stephanie’s passing, Northern Arizona lost a caring and gifted neighbor. Stephanie’s professional service started with several years of nursing care at Flagstaff Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit.
Stephanie next served as CEO of Native Americans for Community Action in Flagstaff. During her tenure there, her accomplishments include working with Arizona’s congressional delegation to obtain approval and funding to open the NACA Clinic in Flagstaff. In 1991 the Clinic received federal recognition as an Urban Indian Health Center, one of only forty one in the Country. It continues to provide care for patients to this day. Also during her NACA service, she worked with U.S. Forest Service and the Arizona Department of Transportation to create an innovative collaboration at the Oak Creek Overlook Rest Stop on Highway 89A. Opening in 1988, it provides economic and creative opportunity to Native American artists to display their work to visitors, while saving public funds with NACA’s maintenance and care of the Overlook. To this day it also remains a very popular spot for visitors and is a vital opportunity for Northern Arizona’s native artists.
Stephanie then went to work at Northern Arizona University. While working in the Physics and Astronomy Department, she was active in NAU’s relationship with NASA, expanding NAU’s Space Grant program to include a new “Stargazer” program which brought a mobile Science and Math Laboratory to at-risk students on Northern Arizona’s Navajo and Hopi Reservations. She formed abiding friendships with a few Astronauts, including one in particular who invited Stephanie to attend the launch of her third Shuttle Mission. Upon returning from the mission she sent Stephanie a “wet” mission patch, which she’d worn on her Mission.
While volunteering at Flagstaff’s first Free Clinic, Stephanie used her grant-writing expertise to co-author the grant which gave rise to North Country Health Care. North Country remains a strong Federally Qualified Community Health Center, serving thousands of patients a year.
Stephanie retired in 2008, returning her focus to family and friends. She remained very active in her community, including being a faithful member of Immaculate Conception and St. John Vianney parishes. She loved her many friends, including those in the Northern Arizona Retired Nurses Association. In collaboration with retired nurses, physicians and the Verde Valley Caregivers, Stephanie’s recent activities continued throughout the COVID pandemic. Stephanie was active in providing both virtual and on-site care-visits to many Sedona and Verde Valley seniors.
Stephanie was preceded in death by her son John Francis Dempsey and is survived by her husband Jack and her son Daniel.
A Memorial Mass will be held for Stephanie at St. John Vianney in Sedona on Friday, March 12 at 10:00 AM. The Mass will be preceded by a Vigil, also at St. John Vianney in Sedona on Thursday, March 11 at 6:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: the Stephanie F. Dempsey Nursing Scholarship at Northern Arizona University, P.O. Box 4094, Flagstaff, Az 86001; or the Benevolence Fund at Immaculate Conception Parish, 700 N. Bill Grey Rd, Cottonwood, Az 86326.

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