Donald M. Demarest

Donald Monroe Demarest, formerly of West Springfield, MA; Wallingford, PA; and most recently a 22-year resident of the Heron Point retirement community in Chestertown, MD, passed away quietly on Sunday, September 20, 2015, at his daughter’s residence in St Croix, USVI. He was 93. Born in Lynbrook, NY, on November 28, 1921, he was the son of the late James Monroe and Florence Seville Gorr Demarest. He was a graduate of the Hempstead High School Class of 1939. He served valiantly in the U.S. Navy, during WWII, in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets aboard the USS Hughes (DD-410). He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Cornell University and was subsequently commissioned as a Naval Officer in February of 1946. Don later earned a Masters of Business Administration degree from the American International College in Springfield, MA. On February 24, 1946, he married Marcia Taube in Ithaca, NY. Together they raised four children, Cynthia D. Dennehy (Exeter, NH), Susan D. Ridgway (St. Croix, USVI), James M. Demarest, II (Houston, TX), and Peter D. Demarest (Glen Mills, PA). A professional electrical engineer, Don worked for General Electric Corporation finishing his career as Manager of High Voltage Direct Current in Philadelphia, PA; a position he held until he retired in 1984. Don held numerous patents related to his work and earned the IEEE PES Uno Lamm High Voltage Direct Current Award in 1993 for a lifetime of “outstanding contributions to HVDC technology.” Don was an avid white water canoe participant and served as chairman of the Delaware County (PA) local chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club in the late 1960s. He and Marcia also spent many years sailing the Chesapeake Bay and beyond as active members of the Bohemia River Marina Sailing Association. Most years, August family vacations were spent at Martha’s Vineyard on East Chop, Oak Bluffs. When Don and Marcia moved to Heron Point in Chestertown, MD, in 1991, they were among the first residents. They were active in many Heron Point activities including marketing, the Heron Point Thrift Shop, and various environmental projects. Marcia passed away in January 2010. In addition to his four children, Don’s family has grown to include twelve grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren. A life celebration will take place in Queenstown, MD, on November 7, 2015. If you would like to attend, please contact Peter Demarest at pdemarest@verizon.net for more information.The family asks that any gifts or contributions you wish to make be made to The Chesapeake Bay Foundation in honor of Donald and Marcia Demarest (https://www.cbf.org/donate/gift-in-honor).

Donald M. Demarest

November 28, 1921 - September 20, 2015