Dee was happily married for 42 years and now, 21 years later, will be reunited with her beloved Deno at his side. She had a loving and giving mother with an inventive and always-learning father. Dee & Deno were both active in Perry and Chris’ lives, from basketball to scouting. Dee was a Den Mother in Cub Scouts until she handed the boys off to Deno, who was the Webelo’s Leader and then Scoutmaster. With their support and guidance, both boys earned the rank of Eagle Scout and were active in SDBC basketball, along with most everything else at St. Demetrios.
The saying “Behind every good man is a great woman” fit Dee to a tee. She supported and encouraged Deno in both his career and at church. And when he passed away, she followed his ROMEO’s group (Retired Old Men Eating Out) with her own JULIET’s (Just Us Ladies Into Eating Together Sometimes). She helped organize the monthly Good Grief luncheon group at church, which is now the Healing Hearts. Anyone who attended could count on Dee for two lists of jokes she told at every event – one set of priest-friendly ones and another that she would call slightly more risqué that were saved till after the priest left the luncheon. She’d feed the homeless at Annunciation and visit the Greek American home and always looked forward to παρέα και κουβέντα (company & conversation) with her friends. She had a wonderful and fulfilling life and, in her words, “lucky to have had two caring and loving children, daughters-in-law and grandchildren…Amen!”
Demetra “Dee” Rouches, nee Laris, passed away on Tuesday, February 11th, 2020. Beloved wife of the late Gus “Deno”; loving mother of Perry and Chris (Fran); devoted daughter of the late George and the late Pota Laris; proud grandmother of Nicholas, Drew, and Matthew; dear sister of the late Andrew (the late Georgia), and the late Plato Laris, sister-in-law of Georgia (the late Ed) Vakos, the late John (the late Billie), the late Jim (Shirley), the late Dan, the late George Rouches and fond aunt of many. Family and friends will gather Saturday, February 15, 2020, for Visitation from 9:00 a.m. until the Funeral Service begins at 10:30 a.m., at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2727 W. Winona, Chicago, IL 60625. Interment Elmwood Cemetery. Kindly omit flowers, memorial tributes may be made in Dee’s name to St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church.
May Her Memory Be Eternal