October 15 1926 April 2 2022
A whole passel of people awakened the morning of April 2, 2022 to find a piece of their heart missing: stolen by the passing of Frances Irene Delaney nee Daley of Evanston, IL. Those hearts will never be quite the same again. Fran was born in Detroit, MI October 15, 1926 to James Arthur and Mary Helen Daley, eventually becoming the middle child of five beautiful sisters. She was a 1944 graduate of St. Benedict’s High School in Highland Park, MI and then Saint Camillus School of Nursing – Nazareth College at Borgess Hospital, Kalamazoo, MI in 1947. Shortly after WWII ended, she met Harry W. Delaney Jr., a sailor just returned home from the war. He was charmed by her “star eyes” and dazzling smile. They married in 1950, honeymooned at Niagara Falls, and then Harry took up a job in Elmira, NY. Soon they were back in Detroit again at Gesu Parish, and the first of eight children was born in August 1951. Eight. Fran thought that becoming a nun would be too easy for her, and figured she would raise at least one priest and one nun amongst a brood of that number. Didn’t happen, although the children were considered quite well-behaved. One night while expecting one of the neighborhood teenagers to babysit, they were surprised when the mother arrived instead. She explained that she was expecting a quieter evening at the Delaney household. The family moved to Evanston, IL in 1967 and into St. Mary’s Parish, where Fran faithfully served on numerous committees at church well into her 80’s. After her retirement from the Visiting Nurses Association, she volunteered at St. Francis Hospital for uncounted years. She is still remembered there as a tireless worker racing up and down the halls performing her assigned duties. At modern social functions the first question that often arises is “what do you do,” usually meant to inquire about your education, career, avocations, and such. In the 1950’s when Fran chose to be a housewife, it wasn’t considered a “career.” However, in this case “housewife” encompasses more than any single job. Fran was the doctor attending to wounds and sickness; she was the lawyer adjudicating quarrels; she was the assembly line worker doing laundry; she was the executive secretary planning calendars and appointments, buying cards and gifts for all the birthdays and holidays, keeping it all running smoothly. She was the executive chef doing all the meal planning, and the sous chef and the line cook all in one, preparing three timely meals a day every day, as well as baking the most fabulous pies anyone ever tasted. She did get an occasional break when Harry would make our Sunday morning breakfast (eggs and bacon or maybe corn-fritters!). Basically, if you were to ask Fran “what do you do” she could have just answered EVERYTHING. But she would never have said that. She was humble in all things and undertook most anything thrown at her without complaint. She just got on with it, and usually with a smile. Did I mention that smile? She was known for her smile. Remember that there are eight children, five of whom had children of their own so that there are sixteen grandchildren, who then again had children, so there are even more great-grandchildren. If we were to list the whole passel of them, we would be lost in a sea of names, so just know that Fran had love for them all. She is predeceased by her husband Harry Delaney, her parents and her sisters, Mary Helen McAskin, Patricia Daley, Marjorie Tschirhart, and Dorothy Pennanen. She is survived by all eight of her children; Thomas Delaney (Kimberly Patterson), Colleen Delaney, Mary (James) McCormack, Harry Delaney, Loretta (Duane) Christensen, Theresa (Albert) Bianchi, John (Leigh) Delaney, James (Molly) Delaney and “pretty kitty” (aka Binkley). Fran’s desire was to be able to stay in her own home and she was blessed with extraordinary caregivers in her final two years. We are so grateful to Becky Jones, Eloise Davis, Loretta Shem, Lilly and all the folks at Rainbow Hospice. Visitation, Thursday, April 7, 2022, 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.at Donnellan Family Funeral Home, 10045 Skokie Boulevard at Old Orchard Road, Skokie, IL 60077. Funeral Mass, Friday, April 8, 2022, 10:00 a.m. at Saint Mary Church, 1012 Lake Street and Oak Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201. Interment Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, IL In lieu of flowers, donations be made to Rainbow Hospice & Palliative Care, AMITA Health Foundation, 2601 Navistar Drive, Building 4 / Floor 1, Lisle, IL 60532 Info:donnellanfuneral.com or (847) 675-1990 To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Frances, please visit our floral store.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Frances Fran Delaney October 15 1926 April 2 2022.
Death notice for the town of: Evanston, state: Illinois