Obituary

Nicholas Paul Demas
May 19^th 1951 – March 28^th 2022

Nicholas Paul Demas passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday March 28^th 2022 at his home in Rockville Centre NY, with his wife Michele Mancini by his side, holding his hand as his pulse slowed to a stop.

Nick’s passing was expected, as he was on home hospice care with a DNR order, suffering from stage 4 lung cancer that spread to his lymphatic system and bones. From diagnosis to death was only 2 months and 4 days. Nick had no idea he was sick, until it was too late. It was relatively swift, excruciatingly painful, and frightening, but Nick handled it with dignity and grace, as he did with most difficult events in his life.

Nick and Michele planned to move to Washington State to retire this year, to a beautiful home in the forest that belonged to Michele’s parents, which she’d been refurbishing when Nick was diagnosed. But, sadly, the universe had different plans. Nick’s pain was so great and his decline happened so quickly, he was unable to travel to Washington to spend his last days in the splendor of the big trees. So Michele came home to NY to take care of him. “Just you and me, all we need is each other.” he often said to Michele. Even in his final days, still with a glimmer of hope he’d whisper, “Just you and me, we’re going to be so happy together in our house in the country.”

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Nick was born in Queens New York on May 19^th, 1951 to Lula and Paul Demas.

Nick graduated from Martin Van Buren High School in NYC in 1969, then went on to York College in Jamaica NY.

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One of Nick’s passions as a young man was spending time working on old cars with his brother Jim, and listening to the music of Jimi Hendrix.

Always meticulous at work or play, Nick was always a valued employee. He held several jobs over his 70+ years that allowed him to happily work with his hands. From mechanical, electrical, and water systems to working as a self-trained machinist, often making his own precision tools and parts, usually humming as he worked because he enjoyed working with his hands so much.

Nick was a devoted employee of Fluid Metering in Syosset NY when he collapsed at work from pain and weakness in his back and legs on January 24^th 2022, was rushed to the ER, and subsequently endured a 6 week stint in the hospital before going home with hopes of in-home rehab and out-patient cancer treatments to give him more time. But the cancer was too aggressive. He spent less than 3 weeks at home, under the loving care of his wife Michele as well as in-home nurses and aids, before succumbing. He put up a brave fight for as long as he could, but his body simply gave out. Unable to swallow due to complications, at the end he couldn’t take in any food or water for days, not even a few drops of liquid medicines to ease his pain at the very end.

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Besides working with his hands to build or repair things, Nick’s other passions were raising and racing homing pigeons (as he did when he was much younger and planned to do again in retirement), keeping salt water aquariums, and fishing, mostly ocean catch & release. For him it wasn’t so much about the thrill of the catch as it was about the peacefulness and solitude of being by the water at dawn and early morning. On the rare occasion he kept a big fish he caught he often gave it away to someone with a family to feed and a passion for fresh home cooked fish. Very often he gave his catch to the hard working clean-up crew at the state parks where he usually fished.

Nick loved nature and animals of all kinds. He was even kind to beneficial bugs and earth worms. He often said he wanted to be a bird, he wanted to fly like a bird and often dreamed he was flying, sometimes even flapping his imaginary wings while sleeping.

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Nick is described by his wife Michele as a devoted and loyal husband, with a kind and caring soul, they loved and cared deeply for each other. Michele is “devastated” by his passing and can’t imagine life without him. Some of his last words were “God, I love this woman so much.” as he hugged her while lying together in his hospital bed set up in their apartment living room. And “Please don’t forget me.” he whispered to her, when he started to loose strength and realized he didn’t have much time left. Michele responded, “I could never forget you. I love you more than anything in this world. You are my world.”

Nick is described by friends, neighbors, and co-workers as a good man, a good friend, a kind, caring, hard-working and honest person.

Mr. Nick (as many called him) had a sense of humor and smile that was appreciated by all who knew him. He wasn’t a typical “funny man”, but he liked to make people laugh and smile when he could. And if he couldn’t come up with a joke or comment to make you smile, he’d sing to you, often cleverly changing the words to popular old songs to fit your life or the moment.

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Nick is survived by his second wife of 28 years, Michele Mancini (18.5 years “domestic partnership” followed by 9.5 years “on paper”), as well as his brothers Jim Demas, Bill Demas, and his sister Georgia Hanges. He is pre-deceased by his parents Lula & Paul Demas.

He is also survived by his first wife and three grown children from his first marriage. He spoke lovingly and longingly of his children in his final days, just as he had done his entire adult life.