REV. JAMES M. DEMSKE, 72; FORMER CANISIUS COLLEGE PRESIDENT.(CAPITAL REGION)

Byline: New York Times

The Rev. James M. Demske, a Jesuit priest and an expert on Existentialist philosophy who led an expansion of Canisius College in Buffalo as its president from 1966 until last year, died on Wednesday at Sister's Hospital in Buffalo. He was 72 and lived in Buffalo.

The cause was complications from leukemia, said Janet Holler, a spokeswoman for the college.

At his death, Demske had been chancellor of the college, which was founded by the Jesuits in 1870, for a year.

A native of Buffalo and a 1947 Canisius graduate, Demske held a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Freiburg, Germany. His books included …