And he blew in and we accepted him, of course.” Demara died in 1982. On his return to Canada, Demara was very quietly, and honourably, released from the service, issued re-hab and back pay plus active service credits in the amount of just under one thousand dollars. He was, among other things, a doctor, a professor, prison warden and monk.Demara was not some kind of genius either – he actually left school without any qualifications. During the years, he also managed to have a close relationship with actor Steve McQueen, to whom Demara delivered last rites in November 1980. An enlistment process that should have taken months was completed in days. He was the subject of a movie, The Great Impostor, in which he was played by Tony Curtis. Ferdinand Waldo Demara. Our editors have rounded up their most anticipated horror movies of the year. Before leaving, he said … ‘I’m so sorry. During the Great Depression, however, Demara's father lost the family wealth. Talk of such an award, and the attention surrounding his Korean exploits, was probably Demara’s undoing. His father, Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Sr. was born in Rhode Island and worked in Lawrence’s old Theatre District as a motion picture operator. Jump to navigation Jump to search. He may have suffered from an illness. Ferdinand Waldo Demara, commonly known as “Fred”, was born in Lawrence Massachusetts in the December of 1921. His patients not only survived, but Cyr’s fellow officers were so impressed with his coolness that they planned to put his name forward for a medal. War correspondents had picked up the story of the CAYUGA medic and broadcast it far and wide. Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr., the inspiration for the movie ''The Great Impostor,'' who spent much of his life pretending to be somebody else, is dead … The resilient Demara bounced back, going on to forge a series of new personas including law student, cancer researcher, deputy sheriff, and teacher. Ferdinand “Waldo” Demara, an American by birth, joined the Royal Canadian Navy in March 1951. View the profiles of people named Ferdinand Demara. “The RCN, thoroughly embarrassed by the entire affair, declined to prosecute Demara”, notes author Edward C. Meyers in his book about the Royal Canadian Navy in Korea, “Thunder in the Morning Calm”: “The whole episode, Ottawa decided, was best forgotten as quickly as possible. Little time was lost in processing this valuable recruit. Although he soon left the monastic life, he reportedly later looked back on this time as the best in his life. Ferdinand Demara, or "the Great Imposter" as he came to be known, has a very impressive resume — the only thing it lacks is his real name. Canada was involved in a … Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr. lived for 60 years, and spent most of them pretending to be someone else. His father, I had hoped that we could have been together until the ship returned to her home port. He came from a wealthy family. Introduction: Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr. (21 December 1921 – 7 June 1982), known as "the Great Impostor", was an infamous impersonator and conman. Ferdinand Waldo Demara (1921- June 8, 1982), known as "the Great Impostor", masqueraded as many people from monks to surgeons to prison wardens. The Americans had nothing against him in the way of outstanding warrants so, after a few routine questions, they let him go on his way.”, Peter Godwin Chance pictured in 1951. He was then driven to the border and turned over to the United States Immigration Office at Blaine, Washington. Demara, Ferdinand Waldo, 1921-1982 Title ; Close. The Reverend Joseph Ferdinand Demara…, supposedly resident chaplain of the Anaheim Hospital in Anaheim, California. Ferdinand “Waldo” Demara, an American by birth, joined the Royal Canadian Navy in March 1951. We were shocked and wouldn’t believe it was true. What Demara did possess was a strong intellect, plus a phenomenal memory. Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr. finished his “career” with his real name as a counsellor at the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles. Soon after, the bogus doctor showed up at the recruiting centre. This was the beginning of a very sad unmasking. Following a commando-style raid off the west coast of Korea, three seriously wounded casualties — all South Korean guerillas – were brought aboard CAYUGA. Ferdinand Waldo Demara, more popularly known as Fred W. Demara was a colorful and very intelligent person who assumed the identities of others in order to shortcut through life and place himself in various positions or careers. This last escapade resulted in arrest and six months in prison. Ferdinand “Fred” Waldo Demara Jr. wanted to be somebody — so he decided to be everybody. It’s not clear why Demara engaged in his masquerades. Using the name Joseph Cyr, he arrived at the recruiting office in Saint John, New Brunswick, and offered his professional services as a doctor. Ferdinand Waldo Demara was born on 21st December 1921 in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in the United States. He masqueraded as many different people from monks to surgeons to prison wardens. Maps were disabled by the visitor on this site. Ferdinand Waldo Demaraaka the Great Impostor. Ferdinand Waldo Demara The Great Impostor Demara, armed with photographic memory and a high IQ, impersonated a ship's doctor, a civil engineer, a sheriff's deputy, an assistant prison warden, a doctor of applied psychology, a hospital orderly, a lawyer, a child-care expert, a Benedictine monk, a Trappist monk, an editor, a cancer researcher, and a teacher. SNAC is a discovery service for persons, families, and organizations found within archival collections at cultural heritage institutions. He joined the ship in Esquimalt for her second tour of duty in Korean waters. It was here that Demara met and befriended Canadian doctor Joseph Cyr, who was moving to the US to set up a medical practice. This is a VERY interesting show featuring Ferdinand Demara, notorious "Great Imposter". Demara wrote a book called "The Great Pretender" that detailed his adventures in posing as, and getting away with, people in various occupations in which he had no experience, such as a shipboard doctor. He was not qualified to look after the health of the sailors in his charge. A Roman Catholic, he dropped out of Catholic high school and entered a monastery. A few years ago, Time magazine named him one of the Top 10 … Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr., who came to be known as “the Great Imposter,” posed at various times of his life as a trauma surgeon, a sheriff’s deputy, an assistant prison warden, a … “Dr” Cyr was commissioned as a Surgeon-Lieutenant and assigned to the naval hospital in Halifax and subsequently to HMCS CAYUGA. Ferdinand Demara, Jr. was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on December 21, 1921. Not bad for a man who was neither a sailor nor a Canadian citizen. Hollywood actor Tony Curtis played Demara in the 1961 movie version of his life, The Great Impostor. Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr. (21 dhjetor 1921 - 7 qershor 1982), i njohur si 'Mashtruesi i Madh', i cili u shtir si shumë njerëz si murg, kirurg, roje i burgut etj. Waldo Demara, Ferdinand 1921-Close × Shared Related Resources . He was unmasked as Ferdinand Waldo Demara, who had purloined Cyr’s credentials and parlayed them into a naval appointment. Needing help with the immigration paperwork, Cyr gave all his identifying documents to Demara, who offered to fill in the application for him. Canada was involved in a war in Korea, and medical officers were in short supply. In fact, his … Select from premium Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr of the highest quality. Perhaps he was simply a brilliant mimic with a short attention span for ordinary life. Film actor Tony Curtis, who played Demara in the movie The Great Impostor. Ferdinand Waldo Demara, more popularly known as Fred W. Demara was a colorful and very intelligent person who assumed the identities of others in order to shortcut through life and place himself in various positions or careers. In fact, his … It's cut from the page, so I don't have the date, but the dateline for the obituary itself is "Anaheim, Calif., June 8," 1982. In his autobiography Before It’s Too Late, A Sailor’s Life, 1920-2001, retired Commander Peter G. Chance recalls the last sad days aboard HMCS CAYUGA of Ferdinand Demara, the man he knew as Dr. Joseph Cyr. No-one checked his background or credentials. Find the perfect Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. One of the formative experiences in Fred’s young life came when he tricked a local sweetstore owner into … Investigate and report. Check out our editors' picks for the best movies and shows coming this month. He was an audacious fake and a master deceiver, and he remains one of the most intriguing figures in Canada’s naval history. On confrontation, with our total support to Joe, he blew up. Unlike other icons who have appeared on the front of Life magazine, Ferdinand Waldo Demara was not famed as an astronaut, actor, hero or politician. Find the perfect Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Demara apparently studied up on the necessary techniques by reading text books and relying on the help of his Sick Berth Attendant, plus generous supplies of anesthetic and antibiotics. Sponsors. Talk:Ferdinand Waldo Demara. Those who knew Demara were quick to point out that Curtis’s movie star good looks in no way resembled Demara, who was beefy and not especially handsome. The TV series The Pretender (1996) was partially inspired by his life. The ship was sent north to assist in the defence of Tae Wa-Do, an offshore island about 25 miles east of the entrance mouth of the Yalu River, Korea. Cyr aka Demara is said to have removed a bullet from a man’s chest and amputated a foot. Had the authorities found time to dig a little, they might have uncovered the doctor’s secret. Photo courtesy of The Memory Project. His father, Peter Godwin Chance, who sailed with Demara and once had an infected toe treated by the bogus physician, remembers him as an “affable” man, “…always the life of the party, [though he] neither drank alcohol nor smoked cigarettes.”, When asked to describe his motives, Demara is said to have responded: “Rascality, pure rascality.”. Although an American by birth, he joined the Canadian Navy in March 1951. “You don’t believe me”, he cried in his anguish. Demara, known locally as 'Fred', was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1921, at 40 Texas Avenue in the lower southwest Tower Hill Neighborhood. During Demara's 'careers', his impersonations included a ship's doctor, a civil engineer, a sheriff's deputy, an assistant prison warden, … In fact, his 23-year career was rather varied. A movie based on his book was produced, starring Tony Curtis as Demara. Demara, known locally as 'Fred', was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1921, at 40 Texas Avenue in the lower southwest Tower Hill Neighborhood. Unlike other icons who have appeared on the front of Life magazine, Ferdinand Waldo Demara was not famed as an astronaut, actor, hero or politician. Demara, Ferdinand Waldo, 1921-1982 . I've added some facts, based in part on the print copy I have of the New York Times obituary for Demara. Join Facebook to connect with Ferdinand Demara and others you may know. Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr. (December 21, 1921 – June 7, 1982), known as 'The Great Impostor', masqueraded as many people - from monks to surgeons to prison wardens. Click to open the map in a new window. Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr. (December 21, 1921 – June 7, 1982), known as 'The Great Impostor', masqueraded as many people from monks to surgeons to prison wardens. First shown as a school teacher placed under arrest by state troopers, the story recounts how the untrained, uneducated, yet brilliant young man, Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr., assumes the identity of a college professor, Trappist monk, prison warden and surgeon in the Canadian navy. Demara, at the time posing as “Brother John”, a novice monk, had apparently struck up a friendship with Cyr and stolen his medical credentials. A Life magazine photo of Ferdinand Waldo Demara in 1952, not long after his masquerade as Dr. Joseph Cyr was exposed As the only 'surgeon' aboard, the … Posing as Cyr, he performed numerous minor surgeries, including dental work on the infected tooth of CAYUGA’s commander, Captain James Plomer. Ferdinand Demara (Ferdinand Waldo Demara) Demara, known locally as ‘Fred’, was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1921, at 40 Texas Avenue in the lower southwest Tower Hill Neighborhood. Using the name Joseph Cyr, he arrived at the recruiting office in Saint John, New Brunswick, and offered his professional services as a doctor. The Canadian Navy apparently discovered Demara was using a false identity after the real Dr. Cyr’s mother spotted a news report in her local paper. It was during the night bombardment that a signal was received, from NSHQ (Canadian Naval Service Headquarters), to CAYUGA: Captain’s eyes only, have reason to believe your Medical Officer is impostor. Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr. (21 de diciembre de 1921 [1] [2] - 7 de junio de 1982) conocido como "El Gran Impostor", fue un impostor que se hizo pasar por muchas personas, desde monjes y cirujanos, hasta funcionarios de prisiones.El tema de la película El gran impostor es él. Fictionalized account of Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr., who stole or created fictional identities and worked in a variety of occupations, most quite successfully. The family were fairly well off when he was born, but his father lost a lot of money in the Great Depression and the family had to move to a poor neighbourhood. Demara had no formal training in any of his many adopted careers as a psychologist, university lecturer, Trappist monk and prison warden, to name but a few. After three days locked in his cabin dosed on barbiturates, he was persuaded to come on deck, where he surrendered. Select from premium Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr of the highest quality. The genuine Joseph Cyr, then practising in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, realized the truth. The unbelievable hide-and-seek story mixes suspense with humor, as Demara attempts to outwit and … U nlike other icons who have appeared on the front of Life magazine, Ferdinand Waldo Demara was not famed as an astronaut, actor, hero or politician. Amongst others, over time, he was a Canadian Navy Surgeon, civil engineer designing a bridge, a sheriff's deputy, an ... Face-Off: Seth Grahame-Smith Mash-Up Heroes, Favorite Show From the 2009 Classic Television Series Stamps. He was the subject of a movie, The Great Impostor, in which he was played by Tony Curtis. Social Networks and Archival Context. Victoria, BC V9A 7N2. His father, Ferdinand Waldo Sr., worked as a motion picture operator. 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