Carroll F. Demoga died peacefully in Christopher House on September 27, at the age of 104. He was married to his beloved wife of 62 years, Valerie C. (Zakarewicz) Demoga who died in 2004. Carroll is survived by his son, Paul J, Demoga and his wife, Sandra of Worcester and their daughters, Amy K. Demoga and Allson K. Leach and her son, Henry W. Leach and his son, Michael Demoga and his wife, Joan of Grafton and their daughter, Kirsten M. Woodruff. Carroll was the oldest of five children born in Proctorsville, Vermont to Polish immigrants Antoni Demoga and Bronislawa (Knuk) Demoga. He was predeceased by his four siblings; John P. Demoga, who died in June of this year, his brother, Michael Demoga and sisters, Sophie Demoga and Alice Stoskus.
His father was an itinerant weaver who moved from woolen mill to woolen mill throughout Vermont and New Hampshire in the 1920s, taking his family with him before finally settling in the Green Island neighborhood of Worcester at the height of the Great Depression. Carroll and John both served in the Civil Conservation Corps during the depression, and Carroll even had a very brief career as a prize fighter under the ring name “Wildcat Carter.” Both brothers served in the military during WWII. John was a gunner’s mate on the USS Baltimore in the Pacific, and Carroll in the U.S. Army medical corps in Europe. He was a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge and saw service in France, Germany and Austria before the war ended. He was awarded the French Legion of Honor by the French government for his service in France.
Carroll and John both worked at Morgan Construction Company before and after WWII, employment that continued until they retired. Carroll retired at age 62, and he spent many years thereafter traveling throughout Europe and the United States with his wife Valerie. He was very fortunate to be able to drive throughout Europe and revisit many of the now tranquil locations that he was assigned to during the height of war. One unforgettable experience was to stay with Valerie in the very same room, in the very same Hotel “Goldener Hirsch” that his unit occupied during the war in Fussen, Germany, not far from King Ludwig’s iconic “Neuschwanstein Castle”. The Hotel and room had changed little from 1944-1971.
Carroll was a devoted husband and father, and became a loving caregiver to his wife Valerie prior to her death from cancer in 2004. When his sons Paul and Michael were young, he was active in both Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts in Boylston and was also a Past Commander of the Boylston American Legion Post. He was also an avid home improvement enthusiast and wood worker, enlisting and training his sons in countless remodeling, landscaping and masonry projects.
Although his formal education ended in the 8th grade, he spent many days in the Worcester Public Library after looking for work during the depression. He was always well read and well informed, and after Valerie died, he finally got a taste of higher education in his 90’s when he audited history classes at Worcester State University.
He has been lovingly cared for at Christopher House for the past five years, regaling the staff with stories of his exploits, some true and some not, but all entertaining none the less. His family is grateful for the wonderful care that he received there, including the compassionate people from JHC Hospice. He was joined at Christopher House by his brother John until John’s death in June. They were brothers together very touchingly from beginning to end.
His funeral is Friday, October 2nd with a Mass at 11:00 AM in St. Anne’s Church, 130 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury. Burial will follow in Pine Grove Cemetery, Boylston. Visitation will be held from 10:00 AM until the start of the service in the church. Social Distancing and the use of face masks that cover the nose and mouth will be part of the protocol at all of Carroll’s services. O'CONNOR BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME is assisting the family with arrangements.