Catherine Sophia Usner

Catherine Usner Obituary
Catherine Sophia (Demos) Usner was born in Canton to the late Steve and Pauline (Peterson) Demos. She was also preceded in death by her brother Nick Demos in August of 1999, and step-daughter Brooke Diane Usner in April of 2019. She married Jack Richard Usner on October 8, 1972 and celebrated 53 years of marriage until her passing. Sophia is also survived by three nephews and three nieces. She has been a lifetime member of St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church. Sophia started her career at the Canton Repository as a secretary to The Assistant Comptroller for the Brush-Moore Newspapers, who, at the time, were the owners of the Repository and six other newspapers throughout Ohio and West Virginia. From there, she moved to Washington, DC and worked at the Pentagon in the Office of The Assistant Secretary of Defense. After three years, she was transferred to Paris, France and became the Secretary of the Legal Counsel of the U.S. Representative to NATO. After a year in that office, she was promoted to the Ambassador's office who was the U.S. Representative to NATO. After three years in Paris, she returned to Washington DC and worked in The Secretary of Defense's office. During that period, she was drafted to the White House as part of The Advance Party for President Eisenhower's 11-nation tour of Europe and The Near East. Sophia was detailed to Madrid, Paris, and Rome as part of The Advance Party to prepare for the President's activities in those cities. President Eisenhower as so impressed with Sophia, he offered her a job as personal secretary for his family. However, Sophia returned to Canton in 1961 due to her mother's poor health. After her mother's death in September, 1961, she stayed on in Canto to care for her father Steve and to be near her brother Nick and his family. She then went to work for B.F. Goodrich in Akron for three years as the Customer Relations Supervisor of the Building Products Department which involved travel throughout the United States setting up branch offices and sales staff. Following that, she became the office manager of the Canton City Law Department for the next 22 years working with Law Director's Harry E. Klide, W. Scott Gwin, and Thomas M. Bernabei. Sophia retired in 1994. Family and friends will be received on Friday from 10 to 11 am at St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church with funeral services to follow at 11:00 am, Rev. Dr. Nicholas V. Gamvas officiating. Entombment will be in Forest Hill Cemetery Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made, in Sophia's name, to St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church.
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