Obituary of John D. DeMaria

Dateline:  Clifton Park, New York    

John D. DeMaria, 78, of Cheviot Ct. died after an unsuccessful battle with pancreatic cancer on September 26 at home with his wife by his side. The son of the late John and Frances Neri DeMaria, he was born on Oct. 25, 1945 in Amsterdam, NY. He graduated from the University of Scranton with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology in 1967 and was a six-year member of the Army National Guard during the Vietnam War. He is the beloved husband of Christine Yezierski DeMaria, to whom he was married 48 years.

John was self-employed for over 54 years as a life insurance agent and financial planner in the Tri-City area. He founded DeMaria, Chrisey & Lovell and then was Principal of DeMaria Financial, LLC. He received designations of Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant, and Certified Long-Term Care and was a Corporate Registered Investment Advisor with MML Investors Services, LLC.

During his career he was very involved in the industry’s Million Dollar Round Table organization, first qualifying for membership in 1976, and had been a Qualifying and Life member every year since, including Court of the Table. There he worked tirelessly to serve on many Round Table Committees that included being Director, Vice-Chairman, Chairman, and Divisional Vice President of many of their task forces, programs, development, finance and management committees. John will enter the 2024 Inner Circle Society of the MDRT Foundation with his generous gift of life insurance to fund charitable organizations worldwide.  He will be received into the MDRT Excaliber Society of lifetime giving, as well. He also qualified for many company and other industry awards.

John was Past President and Past National Committeeman of the Fulton-Montgomery Life Underwriters; a member of the Capital District Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and past chairman of their MDRT Committee; a member and Past President of the Eastern New York Chapter of Chartered Life Underwriters and Chartered Financial Consultants (Society of Financial Service Professionals) and a member and Board Member and 2015-2016 Past President of the Estate Planning Council of Eastern New York and Association of Advanced Underwriting and gift planning group of NENY.

In his community he was a member of the Saratoga, the Schenectady, the Fulton and the Southern Saratoga Chambers of Commerce and served on the Southern Saratoga Chamber Board and the Government & Economic Affairs Committee. John also served on the Shenendehowa Central School District’s committee to implement the new Compact for Learning. He was a former member and Board member of the Southern Saratoga Rotary where he also served as Chairman of the Vocational Avenue of Service.

He volunteered a great deal of time over many years to help special needs people where he held the position of Chairman of the Wildwood School’s Planned Giving Council and was a member of the Foundation Board, as well as a Trustee for their Pooled Supplemental Needs Trust. 

John was a supportive member of the Edison Club in Rexford for many years, truly enjoying golf and the friendships made there. He was a communicant of St. Edward the Confessor Church in Clifton Park. He participated with his wife, Christine and dear friends, Robert and Deborah Steiner in creating the neighborhood where they reside. Cheviot Court was another of his projects.

Wherever he went, he made friends. A true gentleman who cared about people, lived his life with integrity, and gave generously of his himself, he was highly esteemed by many.  As well as his wife, Christine, he is survived by his sisters, Carmella Rossman and Patricia Yarasezski (husband, Frank) and nieces: Lori Stachnik and Beth Abbattisti.  

Many thanks to Saratoga Community Hospice and Jennifer Motel, his nurse and case worker, and his whole Hospice team. They were so caring and attentive during the last weeks of his life that he was able to spend in his home. Also, thanks to our friends that were so concerned and helpful during his illness.

A celebration of life will be held on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Edison Club, 581 Riverview Rd. Rexford, NY 12148. Memorial contributions may be made to The Community Hospice,  Saratoga County, 179 Lawrence St. Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Arrangements have been entrusted by the family to the Gordon C. Emerick Funeral Home, 1550 Rt. 9 Clifton Park, NY 12065, 518-371-5454.