Elaine DeMore

Elaine Rowan DeMore, a native of Cleveland and a resident of East Cleveland who achieved international fame as an Olympic, World and National figure skating judge in singles, pairs and dance, passed away on March 31st, 2012 after a brief illness. A graduate of Beaumont School 1948 in Cleveland Heights and Ursuline College in 1952, she was a well-known amateur golfer in the Cleveland area, earning a nine handicap. Her main love, however, was figure skating. She began skating in 1937 at the Elysium in Cleveland and fell in love with the sport. In 1946 at the age of 16 she earned an appointment as a Figure Judge and in 1949 became a Dance Judge, eventually working her way up to both national and international appointments in skating's three main disciplines, singles men and ladies, pairs and ice dancing. She married Charles A. "Chuck" DeMore in 1953 at St. Ann's Church - they were the first couple to be married in the newly built church. She liked to recall, "My husband also became involved by taking up skating in self-defense when we were married!" What neither realized at the time was that they were destined to become perhaps one of the most influential couples in US and International skating history. Following her marriage she worked as assistant buyer of hosiery at Halle Brothers and then taught fourth grade at St. Margaret School in South Euclid. She liked to say that when their daughter, Lainie, was born in 1955 she "joined the stay-at-home moms." In reality, however, her new "occupation" opened the door for her to, over the years, judge two Olympic Games 1984 Sarajevo and 1994 Lillehammer, 12 World Championships, 34 International competitions and so many US National, Sectional and Regional Championships that she lost count. Simultaneously, husband Chuck began moving up the skating ladder, too. He began as an Accountant scorekeeper, advanced to co-chairing the US Championships in 1964, ran the figure skating competition at the 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid, NY and along the way also became involved with the International Skating Union ISU in various and numerous capacities, often working at events where Elaine was judging. From 1976 to 1980 Chuck served as President of US Figure Skating, and from 1980 to 1994 he was a Member of the ISU Council, the organization's top governing body, meaning that Elaine and Chuck DeMore represented American figure skating to the world during those days. Never one to stay still or rest on her laurels, Elaine found a new and additional skating calling in the mid-seventies when beloved skating promoter Tom Collins began the annual Tour of Olympic, World & US Figure Skating Champions later "Champions on Ice". He asked Elaine DeMore to be the "USFSA Representative" on the tour, mainly as she liked to put it to serve as "a den mom and sometimes Mother Superior" to the young figure skaters. Many would later greet her with a wave or a hug and a "Hi, Mom" whenever they would meet. But Elaine was never satisfied to just go along for the ride as a chaperone. Instead, she integrated herself into the Champions on Ice tour family, doing whatever it took to get the job done. She "retired" from the tour in 2002. In "retirement", Elaine and Chuck rekindled their love of golf, playing several rounds a week at the Shaker Country Club where they had been members for years. When age finally caught up with their golf game, they still enjoyed keeping up with the sport via the Golf Channel. And, of course, there was always TV time available for that undying love of their favorite pastime-figure skating. Elaine is survived by her husband of 59 years, Chuck, her daughter, Elaine R. "Lainie" DeMore and Lainie's husband, Harry Gleeson of North Ridgeville, and her brother, Richard O'Donnell JoAnn of Cleveland Heights plus numerous nieces and nephews. The family prefers that those who wish may make contributions in her name to The U.S. Figure Skating Memorial Fund, 20 First St., Colorado Springs, CO 80906. The family is requesting that you please sign the guestbook available on this web site and leave your own "Elaine Story"...everybody has one!


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