BUCKSPORT – Joe Demaso, 66, died Sunday, June 19, 2011, in Bucksport. He was born in Bangor, to Louis and Rose Demaso.
After graduation from Bangor High School, where he was an accomplished track and cross-country athlete and a member of ROTC, Joe enlisted in the U.S. Navy, continuing the education in electronics that he had begun as a radio amateur – K1RQG. Joe was posted to many overseas locations, of which his most fortuitous was an assignment to the U.S. Embassy in London, where he competed on the U.S. Navy rugby team and managed to catch the attention of his wife-to-be, Pearl. Joe and Pearl raised Anthony “Tony” and Kristine in Bangor and Bucksport, while he worked for the telephone company in microwave communications, for Measurex and Accuray in paper mill process control, and finally for GE Medical, where Joe installed and maintained MRI and CAT scanners throughout Maine. In retirement, his lifelong hobby of amateur radio took much of his attention. He did pioneering work in moonbounce communications and was most recently involved with cutting-edge signal processing development. Joe was a volunteer docent and biplane mechanic for Owl’s Head Transportation Museum, Rockland, and a rider and collector of modern motorcycles. An amateur radio charitable organization that he founded raised and donated 1.3 million dollars to benefit Shriners’ hospitals, all in Joe’s “spare time.”
Joe is survived by his loving wife, Pearl; children: son, Anthony Demaso and his wife, Emily Gibbs, of Toronto and daughter, Kristine Rick and her husband, Arne, and adored granddaughter, Natasha Ellianna, of Walled Lake, Mich.; his siblings, William Demaso and wife, Marie, of Veazie, Loretta Kearns and her husband, Jack, of Orrington, Susan Demaso of Roswell, Ga., John Demaso and his wife, Jane, of Hancock, and Teresa Scott and her husband, Dana, of Matthews, N.C.; many nieces, nephews and cousins; his uncle, Edward Demaso of Revere, Mass.; and his faithful dog, Jedd, who was with him to the end.
In accordance with Joe’s wishes, there will be no public memorial services held. Joe’s wife and children are greatly appreciative of the love and support that friends and family are showing them during this time.