Luella May (Drown) Demers
Born: September, 1921 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Transitioned to a peaceful end of this life on August 21, 2025, after a very brief health crisis resulting from a fall.
Graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy, Class of 1940, and Gifford Nursing School, Class of 1944 (Randolph, VT)
Married her childhood love in St. Johnsbury on Nov 11, 1944. Husband, Lieutenant Julian G. (Pappy) Demers, US Army Air Corps, proposed upon his return from a 50-mission fighter escort tour in Italy.
Served alongside Pappy until his retirement from the USAF in 1967 to live in San Jose, CA. Moved to Fallon, NV in 1981.
Resident of West Haven, Utah since 2021.
Lu was preceded in death by Pappy in 1988 and is survived by her three children, Julie A. Atwater (Ogden, UT), Richard J Demers (Prescott Valley, AZ), Joseph J Demers (San Jose, CA), and their loving spouses. She has five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. The youngest is over 100 years younger than Lu.
Lu led a very active life of service in every way possible. Although she gave up her responsibilities with honors at the Fallon NAS Red Cross before she left Nevada, she maintained her nursing license until she was over 100. She was always attentive to her children’s pursuits, her civic duty, and to regular physical activities. In preparation for the US and San Jose bicentennial in 1976 and 1977, she served as Chair of the Heritage Task Force to honor 100+ year old San Jose businesses. She was also a very good bowler and league officer well into her nineties. Since the oldest bowler gets the honor of throwing the first ball of the season, the entire league watched as the local Fallon newspaper photographer took her picture. She threw a strike. This actually happened more than once in her nineties.
Everyone that our dear “Mutti” met over the years in many social settings seemed to love and cherish her as much as her entire family always did. At 99, she moved to Lotus Park Assisted Living in Utah to be near her daughter. She found a new family of friends there who also loved her dearly. She passed peacefully in the home of her grandson with her whole family surrounding her with love. She will be forever missed but well remembered in the telling of the many stories that made her and Pappy a prime example of America’s greatest generation. Her family, which loves her dearly, will always enjoy her rich legacy.
A celebration will be held at Lotus Park Retirement Community on August 30, 2025, from 4 – 6 p.m., 2639 W 3520 S, West Haven, Utah 84401, phone number 801-732-5290.
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