Christopher (Chris) Demopulos

Scottsdale, AZ - Chris Demopulos formerly of Shreveport, LA, passed away Sunday morning, April 8, 2018, at the age of 93, surrounded by his loving family. There will be a visitation from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 15, 2018, at Rose-Neath Funeral Home located at 1815 Marshall Street, Shreveport, LA. The Trisagion will follow at 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, April 16, 2018, at St. George Greek Orthodox Church located at 1719 Creswell, Shreveport, LA. Interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery located on Stoner Avenue, Shreveport, LA. Father John Krokos will officiate. Chris Demopulos was born in Texarkana, Texas on October 30, 1924 to Helen and Frank Demopulos. He attended Texas A&M University and received a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering in May 1947. While in college at age 18, Demopulos enlisted into the U. S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a Navigator on a B 17 bomber in the 8^th Air Corp 486 bomb group 833^rd squadron stationed in Suffolk, England and flew 13 missions over Germany until Germany surrendered. Or, as he would say, "12 b" missions since the crew were superstitious about the 13^th mission. After Japan surrendered in August 1945, Demopulos received an honorable discharged and soon married the former Sophia Soteropulos November 12, 1950 in Fort Smith AR. They have two children, Anne Demopulos Smith and Paul C. Demopulos, and three grandchildren, Susanne Temple Kimball, Dr. Buck Temple and Elizabeth Demopulos McCormack and one great-granddaughter Grace Alexandra Kimball. Mr. Demopulos started his engineering career working for E.M. Freeman Inc. in Shreveport in 1947. It was 65 years ago that Chris Demopulos opened his engineering firm, Demopulos and Ferguson Inc. (DFI) with Bill Ferguson, on January 1, 1953, based in Shreveport. Since then, the company grew and did business in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. He served as the company's Chairman, CEO and Project Director. DFI provided civil, structural and environmental engineering services for municipal, state and federal agencies, industrial and private developers. He was a registered professional engineer in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, a registered professional land surveyor in Louisiana and received Certificate of Qualification by the National Council of State Board of Engineering Examiners in 1965. His professional experience is reflected by the wide variety of projects designed by Demopulos and Ferguson Inc. (DFI). He served as Project Officer responsible for contract administration of all highway and bridge projects with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Texas Department of Transportation. Other projects include Bossier Downtown Redevelopment Plan, Caddo/Bossier Port Development for Port Commission, Master Plan for West Shreveport Industrial Park, Corridor Study for extension of I-49, Location study and environmental impact statement and design of a new Red River Bridge on US 84, Location study and construction documents for Clyde E. Fant Memorial Parkway, as well as Arthur Teague Parkway, construction of railroad extensions, planning and design of residential subdivisions, among many other projects. Mr. Demopulos interest in promotion of the engineering profession is exhibited by his activity with many professional and technical societies including, Member of the Louisiana Engineering Society serving as a State Director in 1968, Initiated organization of and served as the first President of the Shreveport Chapter, CEC/L 1968, President of Consulting Engineers Council in Louisiana 1972-1973, National Director in ACEC in 1973-1974, President of the Shreveport Chapter ASCE in 1965-1966, State Director of ASCE, Louisiana Section, 1966-1967, Received recognition as ASCE Fellow 1967 and Life Member in 1994, President of Shreveport Post, Society of American Military Engineers 1969-1970, Member of the Louisiana Board of Registration for Professional Engineer and Land Surveyors 1977-1986, served as member of the Civil Engineering and Land Surveying committees and as President of the Registration Board in 1982-1983. Mr. Demopulos served on the Professional Engineering Committee of the National Council of Engineering Examiners for five years 1981-1986 including three years 1983-1986, as chairman of the Committee for the development and organization of the national examination for civil, structural, and sanitary engineers. During this period, the examination was restructured to comply with the new exam format to reflect the NCEE Survey conducted in 1980. For the direction and leadership as Chairman of the Civil, Structural and Sanitary Committee, Mr. Demopulos was recognized with the NCEE Southern Zone Distinguished Service Award in 1986 and the National Distinguished Award in 1987. Mr. Demopulos received the Engineer of the Year Award from the Shreveport Engineering Scientific Council in 1979 and 1984 and the A.E. Wilder Award by Consulting Engineers Council of Louisiana in 1980. Mr. Demopulos had been active in many civic and business activities to bring recognition of the engineering profession and its contribution to the community. He served as a Member of the Louisiana State Fair Association, Director of the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce and the Bossier Chamber of Commerce, member of the Board of Shreveport Metropolitan YMCA and the Broadmoor Branch YMCA; United Way Professional Unit Coordinator 1974 and Divisional Chairman 1978; member of the Shreveport Economic Development Foundation and the Bossier Economic Development Foundation since their inception; member of Committee of One Hundred; member of the Downtown Shreveport Rotary Club; member and past President of the Texas A & M Alumni Club of Northwest Louisiana. He served as a member of the Transportation Committee of the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, was a member of St. George Greek Orthodox Church and member of the Order of AHEPA, The Shreveport Club and East Ridge Country Club. Chris was an avid duck hunter; he loved attending Texas A&M football games and watching from home. In 1998 Chris Demopulos together with Dr. H. Whitney Boggs, Jr. and Dr. Joseph Cush received the Excalibur Award from the American Cancer Society. Special thanks to Dr. Samuel Unzek, and Dr. Zeidman, both from the Mayo Clinic, and Dr. Paul Soyia, from Scottsdale, AZ. The family wishes to express their gratitude to caregivers, Ed, John, Matt, Kathryn, George and Richard. Mr. Demopulos was preceded in death by his parents, and his brothers, Dimitri Demopulos and Nick Demopulos, and his sister, Dorothy Demopulos. He is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 67 years, Sophia S. Demopulos. Mr. Demopulos survived by his daughter Anne Demopulos Smith and husband Dr. William P. Smith Jr. of Sedona, AZ; son Paul Christopher Demopulos and wife Dr. Stephanie Barfield Demopulos of Shreveport, LA; grandchildren Dr. Buck Temple and wife Dr. Jessica Temple, Stillwater OK., Susanne Temple Kimball and husband Michael Kimball, Oklahoma City, OK, Elizabeth Demopulos McCormack and husband Parker Campbell McCormack, McKinney TX; great-granddaughter Grace Alexandra Kimball; he is also survived by his sister-in-law, Anne Sawyer Harris and her children; Braxton Sawyer and Stephanie Sawyer; nieces Andrea and Stephanie Demopulos, and Stephanie Sawyer; nephews Tom, Dimitri and Nick Demopulos and Braxton Sawyer; and godchild James Mijalis and wife Angela. Honoring Chris as pallbearers will be Whitney Boggs III, Dimitri Demopulos, Nick Demopulos, Tommy Demopulos, Michael Kimball, Camp McCormack, Sammy Mijalis, Dr. Buck Temple, and Phillip Thompson. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be John D. Caruthers, Merritt Chastain Jr., Alvin Childs, Leon Demopulos, John Guth, Don Hathaway, Horace Ladymon, Socrates Lorant, Stuart Lunn, Edwin Louis McGee and Dr. George Poulos. The family suggests memorials may be made to St. George Greek Orthodox Church Building Fund, 1719 Creswell, Shreveport, LA 71101, and The Salvation Army of Northwest Louisiana, C/O: Merkle Center of Hope Veterans Program Attn: Sara Kleinecke PO BOX 1158 Shreveport, LA 71163.