Capt William H. DeMers II
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Captain William Henry DeMers II, USN Retired, 93, of Linden Ponds in Hingham, MA, passed away peacefully on May 23, 2020 holding the hands of his children.
Bill, born in Troy, NY, to William DeMers, Jr. and Ruth Parsons Millard had two siblings: Barbara Alice, who died at the age of five from spinal meningitis; and brother David Millard born with intellectual disabilities now understood as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Tourette's Syndrome. In 1944, Bill enlisted in the Navy. His first tour arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the night the Japanese surrendered. Bill attended the Naval Academy graduating with the Class of 1950.
Bill's 34 Naval career years included deciphering Soviet codes as a Crypto Security Officer, Navigator on the USS Tweedy, Commander of the USS Lester, Commander of the USS Glover, and Military Deputy to Deputy Assistant Oceanographer for Ocean Science.
In 1951, Bill met Barbara Hermance, in Boston, MA. They married in April 1952. She was the love of his life, and their marriage would last 67 years.
Bill loved sailing a Sunfish on the windy waters of Newfound Lake, NH. He faithfully followed the Boston Red Sox. And an avid golfer, reached the pinnacle of the sport when he made a hole in one...twice!
Bill leaves behind his children Diane (Dave Ballantine) DeMers, Robert DeMers, Carol Anne (Ricardo) Aguayo; grandchildren Alisha Aguayo (Alex) Semprebon, Pooja Ballantine, Keerti Ballantine, Ariyana Aguayo, Mariel DeMers; and great-granddaughter Cleo Semprebon. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Barbara Hermance DeMers, and his grandson Kevin Ballantine.
A memorial service will be held at a later date (due to COVID-19). For further information and the online guestbook please visit www.DowningChapel.com. Donations may be made to the Union Congregational Church, P.O. Box 67, Hebron, NH 03241, or to the Salvation Army https://give.salvationarmyusa.org/.