John Alexander DeMetz

John Alexander DeMetz, Jr., 73, of Pass Christian, MS, died March 3, 2011, at San Antonio Community Hospital near the home of his brother in Alta Loma, CA.
John was born in Mobile, Alabama on February 18, 1938, to Ouida (Cragin) and John Alexander DeMetz. He attended Pass Christian High School and remained with his parents until their deaths. He spent 20 years at Los Angeles Residential Community (LARC Ranch) in Saugus, CA. In September 2010 he suffered a broken femur and hip and moved to Bella Vista Healthcare Center in Ontario, CA.
During his youth and later years, John loved living at home in Pass Christian and watching the trains roll by at the end of his street. For 20 years he distributed the Daily Herald Newspaper (now the Sun Herald) to the beach residences and businesses, and cheerfully greeted everyone in town by name and talked their ear off. He and his mother were members of the Pass Christian Yacht Club where John loved the Friday night buffets and remembered fondly all the big family gatherings at his grandparent's home on St. Louis Ave. John was an Usher at St. Paul's Catholic Church, and worked at Goodwill Industries and volunteered at local animal shelters.
At LARC Ranch John was a frequent Champion in Bocce Ball and Swimming in the Special Olympics held throughout Southern California and took many vacation trips to places like Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, New Orleans, Las Vegas and Dude Ranches with his friends. He also made periodic trips back to Pass Christian with his brother and sister, and always provided an exciting challenge to his escorts in getting him to leave and return to his California home.
John had a very friendly and generous nature and would gladly give whatever was in his pocket to family and friends. He always did the best he could at any job or activity with boundless energy. In her last 10 years John's mother could not drive, shop, cook or clean the house.....and, with his brother and sister living away, John did it all. John's main joy was family and having get-togethers for birthdays and holidays. He loved being ""Uncle John"" and could instantly recite from memory all the birthdays in the family.
John's life was one of a childlike trust in the goodness of the world and a love and generosity for family and friends and get-togethers. He did the best he could throughout his life to make his family proud of his accomplishments, and he was successful. In his sister-in-law's words ""the faithful among us believe that he is now whole and in a wonderful place, without pain or grief, and with a wisdom far greater than we can even imagine.""
John is survived by his sister Kaye DeMetz McGrath and her husband Dan, of Milford, PA, and brother Fred C. DeMetz, Sr. and his wife, Sharon Sturdivant, of Alta Loma, CA, and nephews Stephen McGrath of New York, Patrick McGrath of Bay St. Louis, and Craig, Brian, and David DeMetz, and David's family, wife Lisa Michael and their children Brooke and Cody, all of Southern California.
John's visitation will be held from 10 - 11 AM on Tuesday, March 22, 2011, at the Holy Family Catholic Church at 22342 Evangeline Drive, Pass Christian, MS 39571, with the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM, and burial rites to follow at the old St. Paul's Catholic Cemetery, located just north of the tracks on St. Paul's Ave in the Pass.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: LARC Ranch, 29890 North Bouquet Canyon Road, Saugus, CA 91390.
RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, Pass Christian, is in charge of arrangements