With the restoration of democracy in 1974, Zervas was able to contribute once more to research and educational policy. As previously, refusing to take a salary for these positions, he served a second time as the President of the Greek Atomic Energy Commission (1974–1975) and then as the President of the National Hellenic Research Foundation (1975–1979).
Zervas had suffered from periodic issues with respiratory health throughout his adult life, but in his final years the situation deteriorated. The extended use of phosgene in his research has been implicated as the cause of this chronic pulmonary disease. He showed perseverance and a pleasant attitude despite his health issues, continuing to attend meetings of the Academy of Athens until the very end of his life. This came in the summer of 1980 after an acute pulmonary episode, which lasted three weeks before he died at the age of 78.