Louis Maurice Demarais

(November 29, 1935 – March 1, 2019)

Louis (Jack) Maurice Demarais 83, of Mesa, Arizona died on Friday, March 1, 2019 at Banner Heart Hospital in Mesa, surrounded by his family.

Services will be held at Mariposa Gardens, Mesa, Arizona on March 10 at 2:00 pm, with Father Tim Bushy officiating, followed with a lunch at Fountain East Club House.

Louis Maurice Demarais was born to Lloyd & Alice (Bombardier) on November 29, 1935 in Red Lake Falls, Minnesota. He attended grade school at St. Joseph’s Catholic School and graduated in 1954 from Lafayette High School in Red Lake Falls, Minnesota. Lou served as an altar boy, even though he was often naughty. Louis enlisted in the U.S. Navy in September 1954 and also served with the Marines as a medic. He was stationed in Hawaii and his love for water and sailing was born. Lou served his country until his honorable discharge in August 1958. He was forever a patriot and raised the American flag every morning at the lake. After the Navy, Lou enrolled at Northwest Institute in Minneapolis, MN in 1958 and graduated in 1959 as a Lab/X-ray Technician.

Louis married his only love, Gloria Rock, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Red Lake Falls, MN on February 27, 1960. Lou and Gloria made their first home in Redwood Falls, MN where Lou was employed at the hospital as a Lab/X-ray technician. In August 1960, Lou and Gloria moved to Grand Forks, ND and Lou enrolled at the University of North Dakota to pursue a degree in Business Administration. Lou loved UND hockey and proudly wore his UND gear whenever his beloved team played. Lou graduated from UND in 1964 with a degree in business administration and promptly moved to Dickinson, ND where he was employed at St. Joseph’s Hospital. In December 1968 Lou and Gloria moved to Bismarck, ND, where Lou was employed as Assistant Administrator at Bismarck Hospital, later MedCenter One. In 1977, Lou started Home Care Services in Bismarck, ND, the first proprietary home health agency in North Dakota. He established a second location, Gateway Home Health Services, in Grand Forks, ND. In 1996, Lou’s expertise in home health care led to work with Lantis Corporation in Spearfish, SD as the Home Health Administrator of agencies over a five state area. Lou retired in 2000, and lived at Lake Sakakawea, ND in the summer and Mesa, AZ in the winter.

Lou loved to bow hunt in the White Butte Mountains of ND. He loved to play golf with his brothers and his boys, but most of all Lou loved the water. He loved being on his sail boat “Amour” on Lake Sakakawea with a gentle breeze, the boat slipping along in the dappled sunlit waves. Lou was an avid reader and he also loved to write. His poetry was replete with his love for Dakota and the great outdoors. Lou also wrote several books, including a book on the home health care industry and, just prior to his passing, he had finished a novel. Lou was a true renaissance man.

Lou and Gloria had five children: Janet (Pat) Seaworth of Bismarck, ND; James (Jolene) Demarais of Fargo, ND; Suzanne (David) Mohn of Fargo, ND; Daniel Demarais of Fargo, ND; and Lee (Lenor) Demarais of Port St. Lucie, Florida. Lou shared his love for the outdoors, a job well-done, and his sense of adventure with his kids. He converted a school bus into a camper; he drove all five kids and Gloria to California to live there for a summer while he attended UCLA; and he lived by the motto, “If it’s something you love with all your heart, do it.” He will be sorely missed by his kids and his grandchildren Mitchell and Lee Seaworth; Lucas (Elise) and Nathan Demarais; Daniel, Matthew, Stephen, and Randi Mohn; Kayla Demarais; and Jack Demarais. Lou was very happy to be recently blessed with a great-granddaughter, Harper Demarais.

Lou is survived by Gloria, his beloved wife of 59 years brothers Lloyd (Agnes), Robert (Elaine), Curt, Richard (Alice), Bernard (Janice) and Michael (Janet) Demarais; and sisters Kay Gunderson, Ann Chioles, Celeste Cater, and Judy (Gene) Bauer.

Lou was preceded in death by his parents Lloyd and Alice Demarais; his grandparents Louis and Mary Demarais; sisters Audrey Lepgold and Janice Taylor; and brothers-in-law Gordon Gunderson, John Chioles and Duane Cater.