Nicholas Lawrence “Nick” Demos of Hermiston passed away peacefully in Hermiston with his family by his side on May 16, 2019 at the age of 84.
He was born on Sept. 23, 1934 in Troy, N.Y. to Nicholas and Helen Houghtling Demos.
He grew up in foster care in Sacramento, Calif., graduating from Christian Brothers High school in 1953. He received many accolades and was a tremendous athlete. In 1954, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was a member of Company G of the 11th Airborne Battle Group, 511th Parachute Infantry Division, and later Company B of the 2nd Airborne Battle Group 505th. Nick earned a National Defense Service Medal and a Parachutist Badge, and he was an expert rifleman. Nick took great pride in serving his country. Nick often spoke of his boxing days that began in Germany while serving in the Army. He found an immense passion for the sport and that continued even after returning to the states, where he would compete for the Golden Gloves and won. Also while stationed in Germany, Nick met and married Theresa Wiedenmann. Upon Nick’s discharge from active duty, the couple moved to Sacramento, Calif. to raise their five daughters. The two were later divorced.
Nick moved to Portland in the mid-1960s, where he met Dianne Palmblad. The couple married on March 3, 1967 in Gresham. In 1971 they decided to move to the east side of the state and call Hermiston home, where they would raise their eight children together.
Nick was energetic and worked extremely hard. He held a variety of jobs including the dairy farm, the garbage company, his own lawn service, Simplot, and Walmart Distribution Center. It was not uncommon to have more than one job at the same time. He retired from Simplot in 1995 but retirement didn’t last long, as he was part of the first group to be hired on at the Walmart Distribution
Center when it opened in Hermiston in 1998. He later retired from there at the age of 76.
In his free time, Nick enjoyed riding horses, raising chickens and turkeys, skydiving, boxing and creating very large vegetable gardens. Nick also found great joy in the many years he coached his children in Little League baseball and softball.
He is survived by his eight children all of Hermiston, Albert, David, Bryon, SuAnne Fitzgerald (John), Kriss Dammeyer (Scott), Tony, Pamela Bartoschek (Aaron) and Vince; eight grandchildren of Hermiston, Nicholas, Zachary, Anne Marie, John Jr., ShyAnne, Makena, Kaiden and Wesley; five daughters of Germany, Mary Theresa, Barbara, Linda, Norma and Brenda; several grandchildren of Germany; and sister, Helen Fittipaldi.
Nick was preceded in death by his wife of 38 years, Dianne in 2005, and his parents.
Services were held on Wednesday, May 22, 2019.
The family would like to thank Guardian Angel Homes and Vange John Memorial Hospice for their compassion and exceptional care.
Memorial donations may be made to Vange John Memorial Hospice education fund, or Made to Thrive, P.O. Box 684, Hermiston, Ore., 97838 in honor of Nick’s passion for sports.
Please share memories of Nick with his family at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements.
