Obituary of Nancy Ann Delani

Nancy Ann (Anzalone) Delani, the Matriarch of the Delani family, passed away peacefully at her home with her family at her bedside of suffering from the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease for years.  She was 84 years old.  Nancy was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.  She was the daughter of Arsilio and Helen Anzalone.  Her family moved several times during her childhood.  Starting in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, to Somerville, MA and then Dorchester, MA.  She was a graduate of Dorchester High School.  It was during high school that she met Jim Delani at the A & P Grocery Store.  They dated in high school and were married in 1958.  Their first home was in Dorchester and then they moved to Melrose where they raised their five children.  She worked in the banking sector most of her career.  She started as a customer relations person at Wakefield Savings Bank, which led to a position at Central Bank and there were mergers with Rockland Trust, Fleet Bank, and Bank of America.  She was a meticulous worker, great with numbers, and finding and correcting miscalculations.  For the last 20 years of her career, she was a Bank Reconciliation Clerk in charge of all the branches in the State of Maine.  It was her job to make sure the books were balanced at the end of each day. 

Nancy’s life was in perpetual motion with her always seeming to effortless balance her career, managing a home, and caring for her family.  Raising 5 active children is a full-time job in itself.  She still managed to work, cook, managed her home, knit, crochet, and sew clothing, blankets, hats and mittens.  She especially enjoyed sewing Christening gowns and baby clothing.  Nancy enjoyed watching her grandchildren and shopping. Nancy was an avid reader books and novels.  She enjoyed going to Bingo with her girlfriends, at Malden Catholic Bingo on Monday nights.  She enjoyed testing her luck at the slot machines in Connecticut and Las Vegas. She enjoyed going on cruises with family to warm weather destinations in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and Hawaii. 

Nancy was the glue that held her family together.  She was generous to a fault and always placed her families’ needs above her own.  Nancy and her husband shared 64 years of marital bliss together.  Jim was the outgoing one and Nancy was the more reserved of the couple.  Her children described her as the “the wind beneath her husband’s wings”.  They were a team and made each other better.  Nothing made her happier than when she was surrounded by her family.  She went all out on the holidays and birthdays.  She would transform her kitchen and family room into one large banquet room and cooked up a feast.  She was a wonderful cook and loved sharing her recipes with her family and even her family’s friends.  Her stuffed pepper recipe is a family favorite.  She would do anything to care for her family.  The past few years have been difficult for Nancy with her slow memory decline, but just as she had done for her family, they all rallied around her to make sure she remained in her home, safe, and surrounded by those she loved. 

Nancy was the loving wife of James Michael Delani.  She was the caring and loving mother of Elizabeth Chamberlain & her husband Mark of Winthrop, ME, James Delani, Jr. & his wife Elizabeth of Cinnaminson, NJ, Susan Baxter & her husband Ernie of Harpers Ferry, WV, Lori Young & her husband David of Burlington, and Stephen Delani & his wife Virginia of Saugus.  She was predeceased by her siblings; Arthur, Lawrence, and Ralph Anzalone.  She was the proud “Nanny” to Marc, Jennifer, Victoria, Nicole, James, Michael, Edward, Louie, Paul. TJ, and Nick.  She was also survived by 7 great grandchildren.

Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn Street, Burlington on Tuesday, March 22 from 4-7pm. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited.  The funeral services will be private. 

Memorials in Nancy’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, www.stjude.org, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105.