Stanford Ellis Demars

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Stanford Ellis Demars, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away early in the morning of the 11th of October 2026, in Boise, Idaho.
Stan was born shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on January 23, 1942, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The third of six children, Stan was an avid reader and music lover from an early age; he systematically read through library shelves; when his sibling(s) gave him an opera record as a joke, he shocked the family by enjoying it. At 19 he served in the Great Lakes mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, covering Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. While attending the University of Utah, he spent a summer working as a busboy at Jackson Lake Lodge in the Tetons where he met his beloved Sallee, who was working as a maid. They married on June 1st, 1965, in the Salt Lake Temple. After earning his bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah, Stan and Sallee moved to Eugene, Oregon, where Stan completed his PhD at the University of Oregon. After a temporary teaching job at Utah State University, where their son Brandt was born, Stan was hired by Rhode Island College. Stan, Sallee, and Brandt moved across the country to settle into life in their home by the bay in the Ocean State, where their daughters were born.
After several years Stan built a home for his family in the beautiful woods of Rhode Island. Stan spent his 30 year career at RIC teaching physical and cultural geography to countless students; he found great satisfaction taking on a role to help adults in the school’s Continuing Education program. Stan’s children have special memories of accompanying him on his summer field trip classes. Those were treasured times with dad. Love of music was a constant in Stan’s life ranging from playing multiple instruments, singing, and even building his own harp.
He served faithfully in his church callings, including multiple leadership positions in the Providence, RI stake, dedicating long hours and many miles to the Lord. Whether it was working with interdenominational groups as stake president, playing the piano and organ by ear, or his favorite, working in the nursery, he blessed innumerable lives. Stan and Sallee enjoyed serving as ordinance workers in both the Washington D.C. and Boston Temples for many years. Upon retirement they served as In-District Temple Missionaries at the Boston Temple and Pathway Missionaries, helping to shape and structure the Pathway program to provide access to higher education for many adults. As their needs increased due to Stan’s diagnosis of dementia they moved to Meridian, Idaho, to be closer to family. Although his mind and body were ravaged by dementia, Stan’s love for his family and enjoyment of time spent with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren never diminished.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ellis Theodore and Jeanette Herron Demars, and three siblings, Eileen (Vic) Bunderson, Linda (Kent) Pederson, and Steve Demars. Stan is survived by his wife Sallee, his loving caregiver until the last weeks of his life, brothers Ted (Jean) Demars and Kent (Betty) Demars, children Brandt (Heather) Demars, Collette (Lance) Violette, and Alyson (Brian) Barlow, his 13 grandchildren (and 5 spouses), and his 6 great-grandchildren, as well as many extended family members.