John H. Demmler

John H. "Jack" Demmler, 88, of Longwood at Oakmont, formerly of Fox Chapel, and a lifelong resident of Pittsburgh, died Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020. Janet, his wife of 55 years and the love of his life, died in May 2012. Their three children, Richard (Nan), of Bellevue, Wash., Ralph (Karen), of Yardley, Pa., and Carol Carty (Michael), of Sandpoint, Idaho; as well as six grandsons Alex, John, Mitchell, Thomas, William and Samuel, survive. Jack is a graduate of Shady Side Academy (1950) and Princeton University (1954). Following two years of service in the Army Field Artillery, primarily in Korea, Jack graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1959. Jack was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1960 and practiced corporate law as an associate attorney and then as a partner at Reed Smith in Pittsburgh until he retired in 1995. Jack served on the Alumni Council, as a board member and as chairman of the Board of Shady Side Academy. He was a trustee emeritus of Shady Side Academy. Jack also served in a number of other volunteer positions, including as chairman of the Fox Chapel Zoning Hearing Board. Jack and Janet were avid travelers, having set foot on all seven continents. Their adventures were often to view wildlife, from polar bears in the Arctic, to lions on the African Savannah, to penguins at the South Pole. Even after Janet's death in 2012, Jack continued his travel and ventures that included a trip to Greenland and a solo drive across the Western United States from Washington to Idaho and on through to Douglas, Ariz., where his wife, Janet was born and raised. The burial service is private. The family will hold a memorial service at a future date. Arrangements were made by BURKET-TRUBY FUNERAL HOME CREMATION & ALTERNATIVE SERVICES INC., Oakmont. 412-828-3535. The family appreciates contributions in Jack's memory to Shady Side Academy, 423 Fox Chapel Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238, or Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, 800 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.