Delbert Aaron "Skip" Demmer

Delbert A. “Skip” Demmer, 94, of Massillon, passed away peacefully, in the company of his family, on Saturday, December 28, 2019.  Born in Massillon in 1925, to Roy and Nora Demmer, he graduated from Washington High School in 1943.  Soon after, he joined the army as a Combat Engineer, serving in Europe until the end of World War II.  Before mustering out, he met his future wife, Julia, in Washington D.C. while both were photographing the cherry blossoms.  After leaving the army he enrolled in Oberlin College to study physics.  While there he also used his Tiger “Swing” Band training to write marching routines for the college band.  Skip married Julia in 1948, and the couple eventually had five children: Paul, Kathryn, Jeanne, Diane and Wayne.  Skip graduated from Oberlin in 1949, and came back to Massillon to his father’s business, Demmer Hardware.  Over the years Skip served in many church, civic and professional organizations and was elected to two terms as Mayor of Massillon beginning in 1980.

He always loved music and switched from trumpet to trombone so he could play Dixieland music with his band, the “Tired Tigers.” 

Preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Julia; daughter, Kathryn; and siblings, Darwin and Adelaide; Skip is survived by his children, Paul (Pamela) Demmer, Jeanne (Howard) Hartzog, Diane (Mark) Boslett and Wayne (Angie) Demmer; 8 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 4, 2020, at Atkinson Feucht Hare Funeral Home in Massillon.  Rev. Julia Wertz will officiate.  The family will receive condolences on Friday evening, from 6-8:00 p.m. and one hour prior to the service Saturday morning, from 10-11:00 a.m. in the funeral home.  They have also suggested that anyone wishing to honor Skip’s memory may do so with a donation to Habitat for Humanity or to the Alzheimer’s Association. 

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