Charles Demere'

The Reverend Charles Clapp Demere' - HUNTSVILLE, AL - The Reverend Charles Clapp Demere', 84, of Huntsville, died peacefully at home on March 4, 2013. Born on October 30, 1928 in Savannah, GA to Raymond McAllister and Josephine Mobley Demere', Charles attended High School at St. Paul's School in Concord, NH. He graduated from Yale University in 1950 and Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA in 1953 when he was ordained into the Episcopal ministry. During his senior year at seminary, he married Margaret Birney Crawford of Baltimore, MD. They raised their family in various cities in which Charles served, including Tifton and Atlanta, GA, and St. Alban's Parish in Washington, DC. When Charles 'retired' from the ministry, he worked for the Model Cities Program in Housing and Urban Development in Washington, DC. During that time he became actively involved as a volunteer in the Church of the Savior outreach programs for 25 years. In 1991, the Demere's moved to St. Mary's City in southern Maryland, but Charles stayed actively involved in The Church of the Savior as well as The Episcopal Dioceses of Maryland and Washington, DC. Charles was a passionate advocate for the downtrodden, serving on many Diocesan committees for justice, poverty, Central American issues and racial equality. He also founded the Debley Foundation, a family charitable foundation, in 1961. His desire was to gather his extended family to find creative ways to make a lasting difference in this world. Over 500,000 people in more than 20 countries have been positively affected by his foundation. Debley's mission is to empower the disadvantaged and is still active today. Charles loved to sail with family and friends, owning a boat from age 7 - 70. Until his latter days, he loved his morning runs and daily devotional readings. He enjoyed tennis, stamp and coin collecting, playing bridge and telling jokes. He usually had a ready smile and an open heart. Charles was pre-deceased by his son, David in 2010. He is survived by Margaret, his wife of sixty years; Bill Demere' and his wife Maggie of Blacksburg, VA; Jodie Demere' Clements and her husband Dennis of Huntsville, AL; and Paul Demere' of Manhattan, KS; grandchildren Lucretia, Seth and Tyler Yentes (children of David and his wife, Chris Yentes); Paul, Will, Andrea and Eliza (Children of Bill and Maggie); Amy Castor, Jessica Martin and Leah Clements (three daughters of Jodie and Dennis Clements); and five great-grandchildren: Minh, Lan and Ada in Monroe, ME; and Jaxon and Clarissa in Huntsville, AL. A Memorial Service was held on Saturday, March 9, 2013 at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Huntsville, AL. A second Memorial Service will be held at 2:30 PM, Saturday, April 6, 2013 in Savannah, GA at Christ Church Episcopal, 28 Bull Street, Johnson Square. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to make donations to your favorite charity or to the Debley Foundation, 127 Edgewood Rd., Wilmington, DE 19803-4510. Savannah Morning News March 17, 2013 Please sign our Obituary Guest Book at savannahnow.com/obituaries.