Norman J. DeMarais
...Ret. Lt. Col. Civil Air Patrol and Mass Wing Commander of C.A.P.; 86
TEWKSBURY - Norman J. DeMarias, age 86, a well known and active member of the
Tewksbury community, died Tuesday, Jan. 17, at the Blairehouse of Tewksbury, after a short
period of declining health. For sixty years, he was the husband of Dorothy H. (Hillier) DeMarais,
who died on Jan. 14, 2002.
He was born in Lynn, on Aug. 7, 1919, a son of the late Charles and Mary (Boyle) DeMarais. He
was raised in Watertown and graduated Watertown High School with the Class of 1937. He had
lived in Tewksbury since 1945.
He was a co-founder of the Civil Air Patrol in Tewksbury, where he rose to the rank of Lt. Col.
during his 51 years with C.A.P. Before retirement, he served as the Massachusetts Wing
Commander, on Tewksbury’s S.A.D. and Group Committees, and Financial Officer, Supply
Officer and Vehicle Officer for the Massachusetts Wing.
He began his work career at Hood Rubber Co. in Watertown, and also worked at Submarine
Signal Co., Sylvania Co. and Raytheon’s Boston divisions. He later became a manager of
Munroe-Narcus stationary company in Brighton, and retired from Adams Stationary in Boston as
the General Manager. In his retirement, he worked part time for the Lowell Stationary Co.
He was a communicant of St. William’s Church in Tewksbury for the last six decades where
served as Usher, and was also Past President of the Holy Name Society.
In his earlier years, he played semi-pro baseball for the Boston Park League. He went on to co-
found the Tewksbury Little League, and served as manager for the “Indians” Little League
baseball team. He also played in Tewksbury’s Town League.
In his later years, he was active at the Tewksbury Senior Drop-In Center where he organized and
supervised Cribbage and Whist, and currently served on Tewksbury’s Council on Aging. He was
extremely active in the review of plans for the current expansion of Tewksbury’s Senior Drop-In
Center, and a number of Norman’s recommendations were included in the final project. He was
also a life member of the Tewksbury Golden Age Club, and had served as the club treasurer.
He is survived by a son, Norman C. DeMarais, of Tewksbury, a member of the faculty of the
Parker Middle School in Chelmsford; a daughter, Nancy A. Rivet of Westford, associated with
the Edward Connolly Agency in Westford; a sister, Lillian Hannem of Watertown; three
grandchildren, Jennifer and her husband David Heller of MD, Melissa Rivet of Brighton,
Theodore “T.J.” and his wife Beth (Magnuson) Rivet of Groton; six great grandchildren, Jake and
Abbey Heller, Jack, Ben, Will, and Madeleine Rivet; dearest friends, Judith and Len Smith of
Tewksbury, and their children, Joseph Smith of Methuen, Lori Bergquist of Royalston, and Sara
Corbin of Marlboro; and numerous friends in Tewksbury’s Senior Community.
His
Funeral Mass was held Saturday, Jan. 21, in St. William’s Church, Tewksbury.
Interment was in Tewksbury Cemetery. Memorials to the Friends of
Elderly, c/o Tewksbury Senior Drop-In Center, 460 East St., Tewksbury, MA 01876, will be
appreciated.