Rose Demus Argiro, Class of 1941, who
passed away April 4 in Severna Park, Maryland, was intertwined with two
legendary Monongah High families.
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| Rose Demus Argiro |
Her parents were Nick and Teresa Santa Croce Demus,
who came to America from Calabria, Italy.
Nick and Teresa had nine children,
including two named for Nick and Teresa.
Rose
was married to Larry Argiro, one-time
owner of Country Club Bakery which invented the pepperoni roll, who passed away
March 18, 2017.
Rose’s siblings are Nellie Demus Bailey,
Class of 1938; Joan
Demus, Class of 1941; Nick Demus, Class of 1945, who operated the Demus Market
in Worthington till it closed in 2012 after a 55-year run; Mickey Demus, Class
of 1948; Teresa Demus, Class of 1950; and Jim Demus, Class of 1954.
Later
generations included Ramona Rose Demus, Class of 1971, and Nick Demus III,
Class of 1973.
Rose and Larry’s son is
Larry Jr, daughter-in-law Barbara, of Annapolis, Maryland, and Larry’s late
sister Amelia Argiro Fanto and late brother, Frank “Cheech” Argiro.
The Argiro family
previously owned Country Club Bakery, famous for its pepperoni rolls invented
by the original Joe Argiro in 1927.
Rose’s obituary:
Rose Cecilia Demus
Argiro, 97, of Severna Park, MD, died peacefully April 4, 2018 at home
surrounded by her loving family. A first generation American, she was born on
February 16, 1921 in Uniontown, PA., the daughter of Nick and Teresa Demus from
Reggio Calabria, Italy.
Rose and her eight
siblings grew up in Worthington, WV. As a young girl she always dreamed
of becoming a nurse and in 1943 she graduated from Saint Mary’s Nursing School
in Clarksburg, WV. Rose’s nursing career began as a staff nurse at St Mary’s
Hospital and then continued on to include employment at John’s Hopkins
University Hospital working as a Supervisory RN in a coveted section of the
hospital reserved for famous personalities i.e. movie stars, athletes,
politicians and an assortment of dignitaries. Additionally, Rose worked as an
elementary school nurse (Severna Park, MD), worked as a nurse for the Maryland
Health Department Head-Start program, and ended her nursing career after
working 13 years providing nursing care at the Maryland State Legislature where
she was recognized for her excellent service and received numerous awards.
Throughout her career
Rose represented only the highest standards and values as she attended to the
well-being of her patients with compassionate and selfless care.
In 1946 Rose met the
love of her life in Worthington, WV—a handsome intelligent and dashing
Lieutenant, Larry Argiro. Within a year they were married and for 69 years
remained in a loving marriage until his death approximately one year ago.
Family was always Rose’s
priority and she and Larry welcomed their son Larry Jr in 1952. He has
always been the light of their life. Rose was a consummate homemaker and
decorator, enjoying her passions of cooking, gardening, quilting, and bringing friends
and family together to enjoy wonderfully home-made Italian dishes and hosting
the perfect party. Though a Maryland resident for many years, Rose
remained proud of her West Virginia roots and returned often to spend time with
her beloved family.
She is preceded in death
by her husband Larry Argiro Sr. and survived by her son and daughter-in-law
Larry Jr and Barbara Argiro., of Annapolis, MD and one sister Nellie Demus of
Worthington, WV. Rose is also survived by brothers/sister-in-laws
Jim and Erma Demus (Shinnston, WV), Michael Demus (New York, NY) and Merelyn
Demus (Worthington, WV). She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Friends and Family may
call on Monday 1-8:00 p.m. at Ross Funeral Home, 801 Fairmont Avenue Fairmont.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday April 10, 2018 at 10:00
a.m. at St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church with Fr. Joseph Konikattil as
Celebrant. Interment will follow at Mt. Carmel Cemetery.
A vigil service will be
held Monday evening at 7:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of Flowers,
please share a donation in Rose’s memory to West Virginia University (WVU)
Foundation-Rosenbaum Family Center. The Center provides a home away from
home for adult patients and their families while receiving medical care.
Condolences may be sent to www.rossfh.com
Larry Argiro’s
obituary:
Larry
J. Argiro, Sr. 96, formerly of Fairmont, died peacefully Saturday March
18th at his Severna Park, MD home.
He was
born November 23, 1920 in the city of Caulonia, Reggio Calabria, Italy, the son
of the late Guiseppe and Teresa Santa Croce Argiro.
He
immigrated to this country and ultimately Fairmont with his parents when he was
four years old. He often recalled the excitement of seeing the Statue of
Liberty for the first time and how it impacted those aboard as the ship
approached Ellis Island.
In
1947 Larry married Rose Demus who became the Love of his life for over 69
years. Their deep devotion for each other was an inspiration to all who
knew them.
Larry
was devoted to his family and is survived by Rose; his son Larry Jr,
daughter-in-law Barbara, of Annapolis, MD, sister-in-law Nellie Demus and
brothers-in-law Nick Demus, of Worthington WV, Michael Demus, of NY, and Jim
Demus, of Shinnston, WV and many cousins, nieces and nephews located in the
U.S., Australia, Canada and Italy.
He was
preceded in death by his sister Amelia Fanto and brother, Frank “Cheech”
Argiro. The family previously owned Country Club Bakery, famous for its
pepperoni rolls.
Larry
graduated from West Virginia University in 1947 with a Bachelor’s and Master’s
degrees in Electrical Engineering. He served in the U.S. Army in the
South Pacific as a commissioned officer in the Signal Corps.
Post
WWII he began his career in 1947 with the David Taylor Naval Ship Research and
Development Center, Annapolis, Maryland and progressed from entry level
engineer to become a member of the Senior Executive Service and Director of the
Machinery Research and Development Directorate responsible for developing quiet
advanced machinery systems.
Larry
was a pioneer in developing machinery acoustic silencing technology for
reducing noise from shipboard machinery and controlling environmental and
habitability noise on ships. He and his laboratory team (who he often
credited for his achievement) were extremely successful in developing and
applying new silencing technologies that allowed the U.S. Navy to enjoy the
strategic advantage of having the quietest ships in the world. The total
benefit to the Navy, DOD, and the Nation as a whole are incalculable.
During
his distinguished career which spanned 50 years, he received numerous
prestigious awards and accolades for his leadership and engineering
accomplishment. In 1994 his retirement was announced on the U.S. Senate
Floor and a Tribute by Senator Sarbanes (MD) acknowledging his achievement
became part of the Congressional Record.
Among
his many awards two in particular remained close to his heart; in 1995 he was
inducted into the WVU Distinguished Alumni and in 1997 selected as
Italian-American Man of the year.
He is
a lifetime member of the Society of Naval Engineers; a Fellow of the Acoustical
Society of America; a member of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering; and
registered Professional Engineer in Maryland.
His
intellect matched with his kind and warm spirit will be missed by all who knew
him.
Friends
may call at the Ross Funeral home 801 Fairmont Avenue Fairmont on Wednesday
from 12-8:00 P.M. Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated on Thursday
at 10:00 A.M. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Monongah, with Fr.
S.A. Arokiadass as Celebrant . Interment will follow at Mount
Carmel Cemetery.
A
vigil service led by Deacon Lou Belldina will be held Wednesday evening at 7:00
P.M. at the funeral home.
Marion
County Veterans Council will conduct full military honors at the cemetery.
Flowers
may be directed to Ross Funeral Home or in lieu, memorial donations may be made
to the WVU Foundation 1 Waterfront Place, Morgantown, WV 26501.
Condolences can be sent to www.rossfh.com
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