A funeral Mass was held at St. John Neumann Church on Dec. 4 for Ruth Cody Demers, who passed away peacefully on Nov. 27 at age 81 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Burial at Pleasant Forest Cemetery followed the Mass.
Mrs. Demers was born in 1940 in Brockton, Mass., into a large Irish family. She graduated from Avon High School and went on to earn a degree in teaching from Bridgewater State University.
While in high school she worked at Gowell’s Candy, where she met her future husband in 1957. The two were married in 1962 at St. Michael Catholic Church in Avon.
After years of medical school and residency for her husband, Dr. Robert Demers, the couple settled in Baltimore in 1969. Eventually, the family of four relocated to Fayetteville, N.C., and then onto Knoxville in 1982, where they became active members of St. John Neumann.
Mrs. Demers was preceded in death by her husband; her father, William Cody; mother, Anna Cody; and brother, William “Billy” Cody.
She is survived by her daughters Ellen Demers Mortinsen of Murfreesboro and Theresa Demers Haralson (Matthew Haralson) of Alcoa; and grandchildren Megan, Weston, Ethan, and Evan.
Memorials to Mrs. Demers may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (act.alz.org/donate) or 225 N. Michigan Ave., FL. 17, Chicago, IL 60601.
