William "Vasileios" Paul Demas

William Paul “Bill” Demas of Mansfield Township, NJ, passed away peacefully and comfortably in his sleep on September 15, 2023. He had a brief illness that progressed rapidly necessitating in-patient hospice care.

Bill was born and raised in Queens, NY. He went to P.S. 133 for his elementary studies, JHS 172 for junior high. He then went on to Martin Van Buren High School and then obtained his Bachelor of Arts at St. John’s University.

He worked in the publication industry in various capacities, but it was his love for classical music, specifically ballet, waltz, and opera that defined him. He knew the history of ballet and the influence of Marius Petipa to its evolution, the early prima ballerinas, and the lives and works of every classical composer from Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Debussy, Rimksy-Korsakov, Strauss, Schubert and many others.  He was also an automobile connoisseur who can tell the details, features and specifications of any car, local and foreign, just by knowing the make and year. 

Bill is survived by his loving husband, Edmund Pajarillo, a professor of nursing, his brother James (Anula) Demas, sister Georgia (Andrew) Hanges, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

His funeral services will be held at St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Hamilton, NJ, on September 23, 2023. He will be laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery & Mausoleum in North Arlington, NJ.

Funeral services are under the direction of the Hamilton Brenna-Cellini Funeral Home, 2365 Whitehorse-Mercerville Rd., Hamilton, NJ 08619.  

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William "Vasileios" Paul Demas, please visit our floral store.