John Robert deMasi

John Robert deMasi, formerly of Thurmont, Maryland, died on February 13, 2026, peacefully and painlessly of natural causes, at the Heartfields Assisted Living Community in Easton, Maryland in the company of his nephew Jeffrey Crook.  John was 86 years old.

            John was born in Washington, DC, on May 16,1939, the son of the late Robert R. deMasi and the late Elizabeth B. deMasi.  John, the youngest of three children, grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, and as a young boy he enjoyed playing around the house and neighborhood with his brother and their friends. He enjoyed sports, especially baseball, football, and basketball.  John joined the Boy Scouts of America, first as a Cub Scout, then as a Boy Scout, earning the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 13 in 1952. He enjoyed camping, nature, and the outdoors.  The principles of the boy scout oath, law, and motto became deeply ingrained in John at an early age and became the guiding philosophy for his life. John enjoyed working with his hands and was an accomplished auto mechanic, and later served as a radial engine mechanic in the US Air Force Reserves.   

            John graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in 1957, and later from American University in Washington, DC, in 1968, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration.  In addition to his Air Force activities, John dabbled in sports car racing, country music, (especially blue grass), and was an accomplished guitar player.  He enjoyed playing music and singing with his family and friends.  During his 20’s, he was very proud of his Porsche convertible and kept it in immaculate condition. 

            John married Susan Johnson in 1967, but the marriage lasted only a short time.   Later he met the love of his life, Karen Spencer, and they were married in 1978.  John and Karen never had any children but lived a full life with frequent vacations to Florida, New England, and Bermuda.

            After college, John went to work in the residential real estate business for B. F. Saul Company and Chevy Chase Savings and Loan Association.  He started as a residential appraiser and quickly moved up through the organization to become one of the company’s highly respected senior managers as Vice President of their Retail Mortgage and Lending Division. 

            During the 1980’s, John was diagnosed with a neuro-muscular disorder on his left side, that became progressively worse and left him unable to play the guitar and engage in sports. Eventually, he was able to obtain an experimental treatment at the National Institutes of Health that arrested the decline of the disorder but did not restore the damage that had been done.  The disability stayed with him for the remainder of his life. 

            John and Karen lived in Rockville, Maryland, until his retirement and then moved to Thurmont, Maryland.  They were avid sports fans, and especially fond of the Washington Redskins.  Karen made John two ceramic “Hogs”, painted Redskin maroon, in honor of the Redskin line featuring Joe Jacoby that opened the holes for John Riggins during the glory days of Redskin football.  The Hogs remained in John’s living room on the hearth for the remainder of his life. John was greatly disenchanted when the Redskins changed their name to the Commanders and never really recovered his enthusiasm. 

Karen died in 2013, and John remained in Thurmont until 2025, when he moved to an assisted living community in Easton, Maryland.  After Karen’s death, John seemed to lose interest in many of the activities he had previously enjoyed and spent most of his time with his dog Shadow.

John was preceded in death by his wife, Karen, of 35 years, his parents and older sister, Jean Annette deMasi Crook.  He is survived by his brother, James Edward deMasi, and his family of Humble, Texas, and by the family of his sister, Jean, of Centreville, Maryland.

A private family service will be held later in the spring of 2026. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Scouting America, National Capital Area Council, https://ncacscouting.org/support-scouting/ways-to-give/. 

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