1941
Patricia
2021
Patricia G. Delo
March 1, 1941 — May 20, 2021
Obituary
Patricia "Pat" G. Delo, 80, of West Springfield, MA, an award-winning journalist who worked at The Republican and its predecessors including The Daily News in Springfield, MA, died May 20 at home.
Pat was born in Gloversville, NY, on March 1, 1941, to the late Charles G. Delo Jr. and Edna "Pat" (FitzPatrick) Delo. Three months later she, her mother, and sister Shirle traveled to Panama where her father worked with the U.S. Engineering Department to add a third set of locks to the Panama Canal. World War II halted those efforts and the family returned to the United States, ending up in Homewood, IL. Pat's journalism career started there in third grade where she wrote and distributed a neighborhood newspaper.
Pat moved with her parents to Elmira, NY, in 1956. She crossed the country to Hollister, CA, in 1958, to live with her sister and brother-in-law while attending San Benito Community College where she completed her high school requirements and earned college credits. Pat joined the journalism club and eventually became editor of the college newspaper. She transferred to Stanford University in 1960 where she successfully campaigned to have the creative writing class reinstated. Pat later moved to Holyoke, MA, where she had a brief stint as a portrait photographer for the Steiger's flagship department store. Later she was hired as a reporter at the former Holyoke Transcript-Telegram before joining the staff of The Daily News in 1968. Pat's passion was the environment, covering such issues as nuclear power and energy, business and finance, and consumer problems. She won several awards for her writing, including one in 1972 from the Coalition for Environmental Quality, the University of Massachusetts and the Connecticut River Ecology Action Corps for excellence in researching and reporting of the environment and broadening public knowledge of the Connecticut River basin.
In 1973, Pat received a national award for environmental reporting from Women in Communication and an Audubon "A" award from the Massachusetts Audubon Society. She
also completed a two-year fellowship with the New England Society of News Editors. In the 1990s Pat was invited to tour Taiwan with a group of international journalists as part of that country's attempt to assert its independence from China.
Pat held many editing positions at the Springfield newspaper including assistant special sections editor, Sunday city editor and editorial page editor before retiring in 2006. Pat was engaged to Neil Perry, a political columnist and editor for local newspapers in Greenfield, Springfield and Westfield. Neil and Pat enjoyed many wonderful visits to the Gaspe Bay in Quebec, Canada. Her beloved Neil died in 1985.
Pat had a fascination with lighthouses, and visited several on both coasts. One of her favorite memories was a road trip with her sister in 2003 along the coast of California and Oregon, noting various lighthouses along the way. In Newport, OR, she and Shirle climbed to the top of the Yaquina Head lighthouse, the tallest in the state. Pat also enjoyed island vacations including trips to Saint Martin, Aruba and Bermuda.
A voracious reader, Pat joined the Friends of the West Springfield Library after retirement and wrote the group's newsletter for a short time. She frequently borrowed stacks of books from the library and, in return, donated many of her own to the Friends' book sales.
Pat inherited a blended family when she got together with Neil, who had six children. Pat's most important role as an honorary Perry was carrying on for Neil after his death when it came to advice, support, assistance, and guidance for the kids. Christmas was not complete until Pat showed up with the tasty cannoli deserts and more presents than Santa. Each Perry kid got a restaurant meal every birthday and Pat was obsessive about ensuring timely birthday cards for all three generations.
Pat was generous in heart and spirit, thoughtful and kind with a contagious laugh. The grand kids knew her as Gran Pat and Gram Pat. She was the perfect example of how to love, care, and be a part of a second family, and to love that blended family as her own. In addition to her parents and Neil, Pat was predeceased by her brother-in-law John Baumgartner. She is survived by her sister Shirle Adams (Tom) of Newport, OR, nephew Michael Baumgartner of West Springfield, MA, and nieces Tricia Probert (Jerry) of San Francisco, and Christine Brown (Mark) of Newport, OR. Pat also leaves the six Perry children: Chris (Kathy) of Turners Falls, Leslie Sliva of Erving, William "Wid" (Susan) of Greenfield, Alison of Gill, James of Greenfield, all of Massachusetts, and Robin (Michelle) of Naples, FL; 12 grandchildren: Ian (Emily), Caleb, Carlyn, Derek (Nicole), Eric (Jenna), Teagan (Robert), Megan, Michael, Shelly (Justin), Tessa, Joslyn, and Haley, and 11 great- grandchildren.
A Graveside Memorial Service will be held 11 AM. Oct. 24 at Pine Hill Cemetery, 140 West Silver St., Westfield, MA.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Patricia G. Delo, please visit our floral store.
Patricia "Pat" G. Delo, 80, of West Springfield, MA, an award-winning journalist who worked at The Republican and its predecessors including The Daily News in Springfield, MA, died May 20 at home.
Pat was born in Gloversville, NY, on March 1, 1941, to the late Charles G. Delo Jr. and Edna "Pat" (FitzPatrick) Delo. Three months later she, her mother, and sister Shirle traveled to Panama where her father worked with the U.S. Engineering Department to add a third set of locks to the Panama Canal. World War II halted those efforts and the family returned to the United States, ending up in Homewood, IL. Pat's journalism career started there in third grade where she wrote and distributed a neighborhood newspaper.
Pat moved with her parents to Elmira, NY, in 1956. She crossed the country to Hollister, CA, in 1958, to live with her sister and brother-in-law while attending San Benito Community College where she completed her high school requirements and earned college credits. Pat joined the journalism club and eventually became editor of the college newspaper. She transferred to Stanford University in 1960 where she successfully campaigned to have the creative writing class reinstated. Pat later moved to Holyoke, MA, where she had a brief stint as a portrait photographer for the Steiger's flagship department store. Later she was hired as a reporter at the former Holyoke Transcript-Telegram before joining the staff of The Daily News in 1968. Pat's passion was the environment, covering such issues as nuclear power and energy, business and finance, and consumer problems. She won several awards for her writing, including one in 1972 from the Coalition for Environmental Quality, the University of Massachusetts and the Connecticut River Ecology Action Corps for excellence in researching and reporting of the environment and broadening public knowledge of the Connecticut River basin.
In 1973, Pat received a national award for environmental reporting from Women in Communication and an Audubon "A" award from the Massachusetts Audubon Society. She
also completed a two-year fellowship with the New England Society of News Editors. In the 1990s Pat was invited to tour Taiwan with a group of international journalists as part of that country's attempt to assert its independence from China.
Pat held many editing positions at the Springfield newspaper including assistant special sections editor, Sunday city editor and editorial page editor before retiring in 2006. Pat was engaged to Neil Perry, a political columnist and editor for local newspapers in Greenfield, Springfield and Westfield. Neil and Pat enjoyed many wonderful visits to the Gaspe Bay in Quebec, Canada. Her beloved Neil died in 1985.
Pat had a fascination with lighthouses, and visited several on both coasts. One of her favorite memories was a road trip with her sister in 2003 along the coast of California and Oregon, noting various lighthouses along the way. In Newport, OR, she and Shirle climbed to the top of the Yaquina Head lighthouse, the tallest in the state. Pat also enjoyed island vacations including trips to Saint Martin, Aruba and Bermuda.
A voracious reader, Pat joined the Friends of the West Springfield Library after retirement and wrote the group's newsletter for a short time. She frequently borrowed stacks of books from the library and, in return, donated many of her own to the Friends' book sales.
Pat inherited a blended family when she got together with Neil, who had six children. Pat's most important role as an honorary Perry was carrying on for Neil after his death when it came to advice, support, assistance, and guidance for the kids. Christmas was not complete until Pat showed up with the tasty cannoli deserts and more presents than Santa. Each Perry kid got a restaurant meal every birthday and Pat was obsessive about ensuring timely birthday cards for all three generations.
Pat was generous in heart and spirit, thoughtful and kind with a contagious laugh. The grand kids knew her as Gran Pat and Gram Pat. She was the perfect example of how to love, care, and be a part of a second family, and to love that blended family as her own. In addition to her parents and Neil, Pat was predeceased by her brother-in-law John Baumgartner. She is survived by her sister Shirle Adams (Tom) of Newport, OR, nephew Michael Baumgartner of West Springfield, MA, and nieces Tricia Probert (Jerry) of San Francisco, and Christine Brown (Mark) of Newport, OR. Pat also leaves the six Perry children: Chris (Kathy) of Turners Falls, Leslie Sliva of Erving, William "Wid" (Susan) of Greenfield, Alison of Gill, James of Greenfield, all of Massachusetts, and Robin (Michelle) of Naples, FL; 12 grandchildren: Ian (Emily), Caleb, Carlyn, Derek (Nicole), Eric (Jenna), Teagan (Robert), Megan, Michael, Shelly (Justin), Tessa, Joslyn, and Haley, and 11 great- grandchildren.
A Graveside Memorial Service will be held 11 AM. Oct. 24 at Pine Hill Cemetery, 140 West Silver St., Westfield, MA.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Patricia G. Delo, please visit our floral store.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Patricia G. Delo, please visit our flower store.
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