John Demos
OBITUARY
John Demos passed away at the age of 95 in his home on September 7, 2026. There was a private service held for John on September 17th. John was the long-time owner and operator of the iconic Red Fox Steakhouse from 1966 until its closure in 2025. He was born in Chicago, Illinois during the great depression. He is predeceased by his parents William Demos and Mae Poulos Demos, his brother Spiro and his son “Billy”.
John started working at the early age of 10 with his brother Spiro at their father’s cafeteria in downtown Chicago. In 1946, John’s family moved to San Diego and he graduated from San Diego High School in 1948. John wrestled in high school and college. He then served in the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean War as a sonar radar man on the USCG Cutter Klamath.
In 1960, John and Spiro bought a restaurant in downtown San Diego called “Demos Coffee Shop”. It was there where he met his wife Rosemarie. They had three sons; William “Billy” (predeceased 2021), James (Nanci) and Andrew (Michelle). John had four grandchildren; John, Edward, Mateus and Alyssa. He also leaves behind his four nieces and many extended family members.
John loved to play handball, golf, poker, scrabble and was a world traveler. He was very proud of his Greek heritage and enjoyed learning about other cultures. John lived life to the fullest and had no regrets. He was optimistic and always had stories to share. John took great care of his family, he was a wonderful papou and father-in-law and he will always live in our hearts.
John wished to be remembered through donations made to ARC of San Diego to support programs for disabled people (info@arc-sd.com).