John George Demakis Obituary

Dr. John Demakis passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on August 8, 2021 at the age of 82. A lifelong humanitarian, his was a life embodied by selfless philanthropy, Christian love, compassion, and joyful service to others.

John was born in 1938 in Chicago, IL to George and Marina Demakis, proud immigrants from the village of Sellasia, near Sparta Greece. His parents instilled in him a love of the Chicago Cubs, an infectious sweet tooth developed at the family candy store, and a desire to serve the Greek Orthodox Church. As a young man, he served as the Patriarch’s Youth Delegate at the 1961 World Council of Churches in New Delhi, India, led his parish’s altar boys and youth groups, and sang in the choir. Choir was where he met his wife Katherine, whose backward glances he mistook for flirtation when he invariably sang off-key. As an adult, he served on parish councils, taught Sunday school and adult catechism, and championed Orthodox Christian Missions. He served tirelessly on the home front to support missionaries’ efforts, working locally and nationally with the Orthodox Christian Mission Center as a long-time board member and as a founding member of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology and Religion, inspiring others to do the same. Throughout each endeavor, he inspired others to serve.

Professionally, he began his career as a cardiologist at the Hines Veterans Administration Hospital and was a long-time Professor of Medicine at Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine. He worked for the VA for many years, ultimately retiring as National Director of Health Services Research & Development at the Headquarters in Washington, DC. In his free time, he was actively involved in the Hellenic Medical Society of Illinois and spent many years as its Scholarship Chairperson. He was an avid piano player, opera goer, reader, and traveler, even publishing a travel guide for pilgrims traveling to the monasteries of Mount Athos, Greece. May his memory be eternal.

John is survived by this wife of 54 years, Katherine (Spiropoulos) and their three children, George (Maria) Demakis, Spyro (Fay) Demakis, and Marina (Thanos) Zuppas, and their six grandchildren: Michael, John, Kate, Lea, Evie, and Niko.