Patricia Coogan Delaney

November 29, 1929 - July 17, 2019

Patricia Coogan Delaney, daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, librarian, and friend to so many, died peacefully in the arms of God at midday on Wednesday, July 17, 2019, from complications of dementia at her home in Santa Barbara, California. Pat was born at home in East Peoria, Illinois, on Nov. 29, 1929, and named Patricia Ann Coogan. She had two older brothers, Daniel and William. The family of her father, Martin P. Coogan, immigrated to the US from Ireland during the Great Famine and worked in coal mines, first in Pennsylvania and later, after the Civil War, in central Illinois. The family of her mother, Mary Louise Grave (born Maria Louisa Graf), immigrated to the US from Germany’s Black Forest region in the late nineteenth century. They settled in Peoria, Illinois. Pat’s father worked his way out of abject poverty, becoming a wage earner, a homeowner, and a member of the East Peoria School Board. Her mother, on her own initiative, studied nursing and became a registered nurse. Pat grew up a very happy and beloved child. She enjoyed school, and loved her family, her dogs, and many friends. Some of her happiest memories were of family trips through Illinois and neighboring states, which inspired her life-long interest in history. After attending Marycrest College in Davenport, Iowa, for two years, Pat transferred to Bradley University in Peoria in the fall of 1949. There she met Francis E. Delaney, a World War II Army veteran from Waterbury, Connecticut. Their first date was in the fall of 1950, they became engaged New Year’s Eve, and married the same week they graduated from college in June of 1951. Francis was soon commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Air Force and their life on the go began. They had 20 wonderful years in the Air Force, living in seven states (including Hawaii), Newfoundland, and the Philippines, and moving to San Antonio, Texas, a few years before Francis retired. They had three children: Matthew, Mary (called Molly), and John. They were delightful people, genuinely interested in others, and with kind hearts, marvelous senses of humor, and an ability to put others at ease. Consequently they developed close friendships everywhere they lived. They were skilled at keeping in touch and maintained treasured friendships despite much time and distance. Actively involved in high school and even more so in college, Pat participated in Bradley’s Newman Club for Catholic students, served on the staff of the college newspaper, and joined the Chi Omega sorority. Later she volunteered with the Red Cross, ran the catechism program for hundreds of students at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, and served in auxiliaries of various parishes. She volunteered at her children’s schools, painted the interiors of the family’s many homes, and baked cakes from scratch for all of life’s important events. In the late 1960s, Pat earned a Master of Library Science degree at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. She worked as the junior high and high school librarian at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio until her retirement in 1983. She thoroughly enjoyed the students, the staff, and her work. In the mid-1970s, Pat and Francis started to travel extensively in the United States, usually by car, and in both Canada and Europe. They visited their children, grandchildren, extended family, friends, natural sites, and historic places. The family joke was that they never passed an historical marker without stopping to look. A highlight was a three-week trip they took with Matt, which included almost the entire Lewis and Clark Trail. Pat and Francis were noted for their hospitality, welcoming many family members and friends into their home. They even took in two teenagers who needed a place to live, one for several months and one for over a year. In addition, Pat’s mother, Mary Coogan, made her home with them in the final years of her life. Pat and Francis were doting grandparents, who adored their grandchildren and spent as much time with them as possible. When they were young, Pat frequently sent them beautiful picture books. When they visited, she read to them, celebrated holidays, and made waffles, seemingly for every meal. What Pat and Francis most enjoyed was hosting their grandchildren in San Antonio and at the Mayan Ranch in nearby Bandera. Pat and Francis were the most wonderful parents and grandparents anyone could ever hope to have, examples to their family of the best way to live and to treat others. They were deeply in love and joyfully married for 54 years. Francis died almost 14 years before Pat, and she missed him every day for the rest of her life. After Francis died, Pat moved to Santa Barbara and made her home with her son Matt. She had lost her husband and main travel companion, but she continued to travel with Matt throughout the US. She returned to Texas each spring to visit favorite places, family, and friends in San Antonio and the Dallas area. In Texas she enjoyed mini-family reunions at the Mayan Ranch. During her last such visit, shortly before her death, her family celebrated her 90th birthday, eight months ahead of time, with her favorite dessert: cheesecake. Very early in life, Pat was granted a profound sense of God. She was devout as a child and much of her life attended daily Mass and prayed the rosary. She read extensively in theology and subscribed to Catholic periodicals, especially those relating to social justice. In San Antonio she served her parish of St. Vincent de Paul by writing a column on scripture for the parish newspaper, teaching a Bible class, and in many other ways. She and Francis served as Eucharistic Ministers and were part of a team who fed the homeless each month in downtown San Antonio. During the early years of the AIDS/HIV epidemic, Pat volunteered at a facility for infants and children affected by AIDS. Most importantly, Pat put her faith into action by being kind and compassionate to everyone with whom she came in contact, treating all with the same respect and thoughtfulness. Pat often said she had had a wonderful life, filled with the joys of parents, husband, children, grandchildren, extended family, travels, career, and faith. She was a most joyful and grateful person. Pat was preceded in death by her husband, Francis; her brothers, Daniel and William; extended family members, including nephew Mark Coogan and niece Maureen (called Penny) Adomaitis McCarthy; and by too many friends. She is survived by her son Matthew F. Delaney; daughter Mary Delaney, son-in-law Henry Ben-Zvi, and grandchildren Sarah, Daniel (wife Ivonne Nieto), and Michael Ben-Zvi; son John J. Delaney, and daughter-in-law Laurel A. Delaney, and granddaughters Anna (fiancé Patrick Erb) and Katherine Delaney; sisters-in-law Gretchen Coogan (widow of Daniel) of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Marjory Coogan (widow of William) of Peoria, Illinois; numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins; and friends, all of whom loved her dearly and who will miss her immensely. The family is grateful to the staff of Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Santa Barbara, to the medical personnel who assisted Pat in her last years, to her extended family, to many at St. Vincent de Paul and St. Mark’s, and to her loving friends. There will be a visitation at Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Chapel at 450 Ward Drive, Goleta, California, from 7:00 until 8:45 p.m. on Monday, July 29, 2019. Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated, with the Rev. John Love presiding, at Saint Mark’s Parish, 6550 Picasso Road, Isla Vista, California, at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 30, 2019. A small reception will follow at the church. The family will hold a graveside service in Waterbury, Connecticut, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Pat’s memory to St. Mark’s Parish, St. Vincent de Paul Parish, or any charity that benefits children or the environment.