Demetra L. McCall passed away March 8, 2020.

Demetra L. McCall, age 48, of Akron, Ohio, died on March 8, 2020 after a long battle with illness. She was born to Mary McCall and Henry James McCall in Akron, Ohio and was one of two children. She is survived by no one famous, but by many that loved her deeply and dearly.

Demetra was a free spirit who loved life. Everyday was an adventure to her and she loved to share that adventure with her family. From the moment Demetra walked into a room, her presence was instantly felt and she would leave everyone in stitches.

She was a woman who was not afraid to show those around her love, even if that love was shown through relentless teasing. One of her favorite past times was scaring her Mom anytime she saw a police officer. Demetra would yell, “Buckle up, we’re goin’ on a ride” before shifting the gears in her car and acting like she was going to go on a high-speed chase, only to slow back down laughing hysterically right before they got up to the cop. Demetra was a goofball and was not afraid to show it. If she was in a store and had to separate from the people she was with, she would yell “Hooty Hoo” through the store until she found her group. She also loved to tell her son,Jay, how “terrible” his food was before clearing her plate and insisting it was just because she didn’t want to waste food, despite telling her Mom how amazing his food was behind Jay’s back. She would often fake argue and make jokes with her friends and family just to get a rise out of them.

Demetra was a selfless person, who never hesitated to put someone else’s needs in front of her own. When she found out that Jay was having his first child, two weeks after losing his job, she jumped up and instantly went to the nearest store. She bought everything a new parent could ever need, from diapers and formula, to toys and cribs. She surprised Jay and his girlfriend with these just because she wanted them to enjoy the birth of their first child without fear of finances. She made sure they didn’t have to buy anything for the first six months of her grandson’s life, by going above and beyond, as was her signature. She also stayed in the hospital with them through 14 hours of grueling labor, despite her own back pain, just so she could be there to support them. Even after the birth of their first child, Jay could always count on Mom to show up randomly with a new bag full of clothing or cleaning supplies for the family, just because she “got a good deal on it”. Spoiling her kids and grandkids was her favorite thing to do.

Demetra was a fantastic grandmother and her grandbabies loved her for it. The second that “Nana” pulled up, it was as if no one else mattered because the kids were entirely focused on her. “They had no loyalty” to anyone but their Nana. Her grandkids knew the distinct sound of her car’s horn and would come running as soon as they heard her pull up yelling for Nana, which was a sight that Demetra never got tired of.  Her love of  family did not stop at her children. She was also an amazing daughter, who took every chance she had to show her parents how much she loved and appreciated them. While her father was battling cancer, Demetra was with him every step of the way telling him, “We’re gonna ride this thing together until the wheels fall off!” and she meant it. Demetra was at every doctor’s appointment and every treatment, never leaving his side until he took his final breath. After his passing, she moved into the apartment 4 doors down from her Mom so she could help take care of her. Her Mom always knew when Demetra was on her way over because she could hear the clank of her sweeper coming down the hallway. She would burst through her Mom’s door yelling “Get up; we cleanin’ today!”

There is a phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” but those who knew Demetra know that “she is the village”. She ran her own daycare and helped raise countless other children and helped them to grow into kind, caring adults. At daycare, she had children who would cry when they went home because they loved Ms. Demetra’s house so much and others who would beg to have sleepovers at her home. Many of the children she cared for and their parents would keep in touch with her throughout the years, even after they had kids of their own. Demetra was a person who “once you had her in your life you never wanted her to leave it”.

Outside of working and taking care of her family, Demetra loved to decorate her home. She was always coming home with something new for the house. Her home was so immaculate that her landlord used photos of her home as his advertising for the rest of the apartment complex. She also loved to travel, try new restaurants and was always the first person to go to any new store that opened up. Lovingly called a “busy body” by her son, she was always wanting to know what was going on in her town and was never content with just staying home.

Demetra is remembered by those who knew her as a kind, boisterous and caring soul. Her lessons of friendship, love and charity will be felt by generations to come through stories passed from grandbaby to grandbaby. While she may no longer be with us in presence, she will always be with us in spirit.

Demetra is survived by her daughters, Cidnee’ Bishop and Nikki Griffin; sons, Jamyren Palmer and Shontier Johnson; sibling, Dorell Johnson; mother, Mary McCall and grandchildren, Jace Palmer, Cailee’ Palmer, My’Yanna Matthews and Shy’onna Matthews. She was preceded in passing by her father, Henry James McCall and Uncle Stanley M. Johnson.