Jerry DeMarco

Jerry DeMarco, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather, passed away on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at his home at Highgate Assisted Living.

Jerry was born on December 28, 1928, in Port Washington, NY, to Katherine and Andrew DeMarco. He graduated from Port Washington High School in 1947.

Shortly after graduating, Jerry joined the United States Air Force and was stationed at East Base, now known as Malmstrom AFB, in Great Falls, MT, where he met the love of his life, Iris “Penny.” After their marriage, they moved to Port Washington, New York, in 1951, where he was employed by Grumman Aircraft. Longing for the wide-open spaces and fresh air of Montana, they returned to Great Falls in 1955. Jerry worked for his father-in-law’s Studebaker dealership and then The Great Falls Gas Company until his retirement in 1986. After retiring, he and Penny traveled to several destinations in their RV and spent many winters in their home in Yuma, Arizona.

Jerry had numerous passions in life. He and Penny helped found the Dude’s and Dolls Square Dance Club. He also enjoyed car shows, backpacking, camping, and proudly helped Penny display their prized 1962 Studebaker with the Skunk Wagon Car Club. He had a lifelong fascination with airplanes and aviation history and loved visiting airplane museums across the country. He was also an avid reader who found joy and comfort in books throughout his life. He loved Penny’s home-cooked Italian food, delighted audiences around Great Falls playing his accordion, and was a devoted member of the Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite. There was rarely a dance around Great Falls that Jerry did not try to make. He was always the first one on the floor and the last to leave. Above all, Jerry cherished time spent with his family and friends. His family often joked that his social calendar was fuller than the rest of theirs, combined.

Jerry was a man of strong faith, a proud Lutheran, and a longtime member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, where he worshipped faithfully throughout his life.

He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Penny; his parents; his brother, Joe DeMarco; his sister, Rosemarie Garofolo; and grandsons, Jerry Black and Casey DeMarco.

He is survived by his son, Mike (Chris) DeMarco; daughter, Bonnie (Kevin) Askeland, both of Great Falls; grandchildren, Rikki (Jere) Lehman, Michael (Jennifer) DeMarco, Jayson (Shannon) DeMarco, Meghen DeMarco, Andrea (Gary) Bell, and Molly DeMarco; great-grandchildren, Walter, Jamie, Jordan, Jensen, Caitlyn, Cadence, Colt, Blakelee, and Walker; and great-great-grandson, Cove.

A special thank you to the staff and residents at Highgate Assisted Living. To Jerry, the Care Partners at Highgate were far more than staff, they became family. He held a deep affection and gratitude for each of them, and their kindness and companionship meant the world to him. His family is profoundly grateful for the love, care, and friendships he experienced there over the years.

“I will endure a lifetime of missing you for the privilege of loving you.”

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery, with a reception afterward at Our Savior’s. Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Masonic Temple, Great Falls Senior Citizen’s Center, Scottish Rite, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, or Peace Hospice of Great Falls, MT.