Norma Jane Delaney

DELANEY, Norma Jane (O’Shea), a lifelong Scituate resident, passed away peacefully on the evening of March 3, 2022 at the age of 96. Born in Cambridge, she was the daughter of the late Alfred Lawrence and Norma Louise (Rollins) O’Shea.

Norma was the beloved wife of the late John Joseph “Jack” Delaney, Jr.; the “love of her life” for over 72 years.

Devoted mother of Ann Szymanski and her husband Jack of Scituate, MA; Katherine Delaney Lauziere of Raynham, MA; Mary Elizabeth “Betsy” Delaney and her husband Greg Tardif of Hamden, CT; Norma Delaney and her husband Patrick Pilkington of Sudbury, MA and the late John J. Delaney, III of Cohasset.

Cherished “Nana” to Kathryn (Szymanski) Milmoe of Scituate, MA; Steven and Michelle Mach of Hamden, CT; Sarah (Delaney) Jackson of Richmond, VA; Kyle Delaney of Raynham, MA; Caroline and Grace Pilkington of Sudbury, MA; and two great-grandchildren. She is also survived by generations of nieces and nephews.

Graduate of Lasell Junior College in 1946 and the Katharine Gibbs School of Boston in 1947. As secretary to the Dean of Harvard Law 1948-49 she came upon “the one”, her darling Jack. Together, they raised 5 children and called the beautiful seaside town of Scituate home.

Norma was a lifelong member of the Scituate Harbor Yacht Club, avid supporter of the South Shore Music Circus and the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

Funeral Mass at St. Mary of the Nativity Church, 1 Kent Street, Scituate on Friday, March 11, 2022 at 11 AM. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Interment to follow at Union Cemetery, Meeting House Lane, Scituate where she will be laid to rest beside her beloved Jack and son John.

Donations in memory of Norma may be made to the Scituate Community Christmas, 125 Mann Lot Rd, Scituate, MA 02066. 781-545-7108. Online donations can be made at https://scituatecommunitychristmas.org/donate.

Words of remembrance by Norma:

On behalf of my family - my sisters Ann, Kathy and Betsy – as well as my brother John and my dad Jack who are listening from above – we thank you for joining us today to celebrate my mom. At 96 years old, hers is a story of a life that spanned more than 9 decades. Like all of us, she experienced the ups and downs of life and from this, she leaves us with lessons from a life well-lived.

My mom, Norma Jane O’Shea, was born on 12/15/1925 amidst the roaring 20’s and just a few years before the start of the Great Depression.

In the year following her arrival, other notable women were born – Queen Elizabeth II and Marilyn Monroe. With such significant contemporaries, it certainly explains why my mom always seemed to live life between the privilege of royalty and the glamour of Hollywood. And in an effort to clarify history - Marilyn Monroe or Norma Jean - was in fact named after my mom. Another important cultural moment occurred just a few years before my mom’s birth, when Coco Chanel introduced my mom’s favorite perfume, Chanel No. 5. For the rest of my life, this smell will always make me think of her.

My mom was the only child of Norma Rollins and Alfred O’Shea and the apple of their eye. The O’Shea were a family of musicians and music lovers and my mom spoke of this with great pride. She spoke of it as if it was something etched in our DNA, like the dimple in her chin or her beautiful blue eyes.

My mom moved as her dad’s footwear career moved and took them from The Bronx, to Chestnut Hill, MA; Ardmore PA; Mt Vernon, NY; Evanston, Illinois; and Bronxville NY where she graduated high school. She attended Lasell Junior College in Auburndale MA, where she graduated in 1946. Her college year book described her as a girls with a “sweet disposition, petite and loved by all.”

After college, my mom went to Katharine Gibbs College which according to its history, promoted “female empowerment” by offering secretarial training for educated women.” This proved to be a life changing decision as it set her on her 9 month secretarial career to meet my dad, a student at Harvard Law School. My mom worked for the Dean of Harvard Law School, which gave her unrestricted access to student files. After some clever sleuthing into his background, GPA and ambitions, she accepted Jack Delaney’s call on her birthday for their first date and they were married shortly thereafter on October 25th, 1949.

Marrying Jack Delaney started the most meaningful chapters of my Mom’s life. Together, they raised 5 children and we called this beautiful seaside town of Scituate our home.

My mom was in charge of the household and as many of you know, she was very adept at outsourcing. She skillfully built a very qualified team – the dry cleaner that picked up at our house, the milk man that delivered weekly, landscapers that mowed our lawn and clipped our hedges and of course, generations of babysitters that kept the Delaney kids, who spanned from diapers to high school, moving in the right direction. Her operational know how and skilled support team brought my mom the occasional flexibility to escape to Minot Beach for “Foursies” – meeting up with Kathleen Boylan, Ginny Dolan and the rest of the gang who needed a break from it all. They were probably the first to coin the saying – “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.”

My mom and dad loved to travel and my mom made sure that getaways happened at least 3x a year. They chased the sun to many of the Islands of the Caribbean before falling in love with Bermuda. Bermuda was their special place and it was in Bermuda that they made new friends like the Lairds, Browns, and Harts. Given my mom’s resourcefulness and well developed planning gene, she ensured that they all landed at Cambridge Beaches at the same time each year.

Boating was a big part of my parents summer adventures – from day sails to sailing up and down the New England coast. My dad at the helm and my mom in the galley, they each had a clear understanding of roles/responsibilities. They moored their boat – The Songbird – at the Scituate Harbor Yacht Club, which became the center of their social life from June through September each year.

My dad passed at the unfair age of 64. Widowed at 63, my mom leaned in and started navigating life on her own. Once again, skilled at outsourcing and adept at planning, my mom soon set up residence in Naples FL and traveled between the two homes. She had many great friends in both ports which she truly cherished.

What I admire most about my mom’s life after my dad, is she kept him present in her day-to-day. It would not be uncommon to hear her talking to him – asking him to help her find her keys or solve a big life problem. I marvel at how she kept their love affair alive for 34 years after her death. In fact, in the days before she passed, she talked to my dad as she always did and told my sister Kathy that she was “ready to be with Jack.”

On behalf of my sisters and I know my dad and brother, I’d like to thank my sister Kathy who has been my mom’s primary care giver for the past 10 years. As you can probably tell, given my mom’s keen planning and outsourcing skills, she was used to being the boss. So, it goes without say, this was not an easy job. Kathy, thanks for everything you’ve done to ensure mom has been safe and well cared for. We are lucky as was she, to have you in her corner.

As we mourn death and loss, it’s important to realize the gifts that human life brings. For me, my mom left lessons I hope we can all remember:

-Friends are a gift. Nurture them. Cherish them. And know that each day brings the opportunity to create new ones. As friends are the family you make for yourself.

-Let music lift your spirits and lighten your wows - especially Frank Sinatra.

-Travel and see the world. Have an active sense of adventure as new experiences keep life exciting and help you grow.

-Keep your loved ones present, just like my mom did with my dad. Be grateful for the time you have together and hold them close to your heart. Lean on them in life and in death and carry their spirit with you.

Thanks for being with us today. I hope you will all keep my mom’s spirit alive with you. We love you mom.