Louis (Lou) John Demas of Newburg, MD passed away due to complications from ALS on June 10th 2022, surrounded by his loved ones. Just like he dealt with all experiences in life, Lou managed his illness with strength, grace and dignity.
He leaves his loving wife of 35 years, Connie; daughter Tasia Schmitz and her husband Bob; daughter Stefanie Demas; Grandchildren Rose Schmitz; Ben Schmitz and his wife Emily; Jessica Burrell and her husband Corey; Great Grandchildren Maggie and Annie Schmitz. And his beloved pets Captain Jack, Xena, Elsa, Kayleigh, Patches and Momma Kitty
He was born to parents Nicholas and Anastasia Demas in November 1943 in Washington, DC. In 1966, after graduating from the University of Maryland with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, he began a long and illustrious career with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Working at the Goddard Space Flight Center in the Structural Dynamics Branch he was involved in the development, integration and testing of spacecraft subsystems and instruments for numerous space science missions all while pursuing his Masters in Engineering Administration from George Washington University.
In 1976 he was the Space Shuttle Payload Programs Flight Awareness Manager and his career transferred to NASA headquarters, where he was the manager of the OSTA (Office of Space Terrestrial Applications) Shuttle Payloads flown on STS-2 (Space Transportation System) and he went on to become the Program Manager of OSTA-3 and Space Lab 2. In 1988, he became the Chief of Flight Programs in the Space Physics Division responsible for CRRES (Combined Radiation Release Satellite), Wind Polar, SOHO and NASA's suborbital program. He was the Senior Program Executive in the Payloads Management Division responsible for all scientific missions at the Goddard Space Flight Center, Marshall Space Flight Center and the Applied Physics Laboratory. These missions included the Hubble Space Telescope, Explorer Programs, CHANDRA, the largest satellite the shuttle ever launched, Gravity Probe B, which experimentally investigated Albert Einstein's 1916 general theory of relativity, NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) the first mission ever to go into orbit around an asteroid and Timed (Thermosphere • Ionosphere • Mesosphere • Energetics and Dynamics) a mission dedicated to study the influences energetics and dynamics of the Sun and humans on the least explored and understood region of Earth's atmosphere.
After retiring from NASA in 1997, he went on to become Chair of an Independent Review Team for Solar Dynamics Observatory with SAIC. He worked on Deep Impact, a NASA Space Probe successfully launched to study the interior of the Comet Tempel-1 and DAWN, a NASA spacecraft that was the first spacecraft to orbit the Asteroid Belt.
For all of Lou's illustrious work titles his favorites were Husband, Dad, Granddad and PooPoo Pop. When he didn't have his head in the clouds or in space he was known to his family and friends as a bit of a Jokester, an Animal Lover, and a Chef. with an eclectic taste in music. He was an active member of Christ Church, Wayside, serving on both the financial and cemetery committees and as both Junior and Senior Warden and hosting the Annual Crab Feast. He enjoyed golfing, boating, hosting 4th of July and Thanksgiving celebrations and being surrounded by his family and friends.
Services to be held at Christ Church Wayside, Newburg, MD.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The ALS Association. Online: https://donate.als.org/give/287064/#!/donation/checkout. Please click Dedicate my donation in honor or in memory of someone box and use email address loudemasals@gmail.com.
By Phone: Call (888) 949-2577. A tribute (in honor/in memory of) can also be attached to this donation by letting them know over the phone.
By Mail: Donations can be sent directly to The ALS Association, PO Box 37022 Boone, IA 50037-0022. If donating via mail, make sure to attach a note stating the donation is in honor/memory of "Lou Demas". So that it can be correctly attributed in the system. If a letter to notify the family is also wanted, please attach the name of the person and their address to send a tribute letter too.