January 1, 1936 ~ July 16, 2024
Marlborough – William H. Delaney, 88, of Marlborough died Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at Sunrise of Braintree.
He was the son of the late Dr. William J. Delaney, MD. and Edna M. (Bill) Delaney, and husband of the late Greta A. (Carlquist) Delaney.
William is survived by his son, William H. Delaney, Jr. and his wife Sue of Suffern, NY and his daughter, Katy Kelly and her husband Eddie of Dorchester, MA. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Maggie, Tommy, Travis, Jackson and Grace.
Bill, a lifelong resident of Marlboro, grew up on Church Street and across from Farrell Field where his passion and love for sports was nurtured and continued to span his lifetime. He originally was an avid Boston Braves fan and he attended many games as kid at the teams’ home field at Boston University. Bill went on to become a loyal and lifelong fan of all Boston teams, especially the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots. He himself excelled at basketball and co-captained the Marlboro High School Panther team as a senior in the 1952-53 season. Bill went on to attend St. Anselm College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history followed by his service in the Army National Guard. Bill worked for the Marlboro Department of Public Works Parks Unit and retired as a foreman in1997 and then went on to do part time work for Nissan of Marlboro in his post-retirement years.
Bill married the love of his life, Greta “Gretes” Carlquist, in 1963 and they lived a devoted life together until her untimely passing in 1996. They raised two children, Billy and Katy, to whom they always provided their unwavering love and support throughout their lives. Bill joyously passed on his love of sports to both his kids, spending countless hours teaching and practicing skills and strategies of baseball, football and basketball in the yard and driveway of their home on Wayside Inn Road Marlboro. Bill’s favorite sports teams became his kids’ teams where you could always find him cheering on the many MHS teams, Billy Jr.’s Springfield College and Suffern HS Varsity football teams and Katy’s Stonehill Women’s Basketball team. He would proudly go on to do the same for his five grandchildren, Travis, Jackson, and Grace and Maggie and Tommy by attending many of their athletic events in their respective homes of Suffern NY and Dorchester MA.
Bill was an avid reader, reading several newspapers daily and he had a special interest in historical books on WWII and loved any and all books about Boston sports teams and their legends like Ted Williams, Bob Cousy and Larry Bird. Bill also loved his Irish heritage and always celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with pride, donning the Green and skelly cap and raising a cold one to an Irish toast of “Slainte” amongst family and friends. Bill took the opportunity to visit Ireland when his daughter Katy played basketball in Galway and coached in Waterford. He fit in perfectly with the pub life and taking in the Irish music and culture and loved the Irish because of their welcoming friendliness and “happy go lucky” attitudes.
Bill was happiest amongst his family and always enjoyed the company of his many friends. You can be assured that you were always greeted with a bright smile, a friendly handshake and a warm pat on the back whenever and wherever you met Bill. Whether he just met you or was a lifelong friend, his sincerity, warmth and kindness were steadfast, and he forever touched and impacted those in his life with these loving traits. Bill was a true gentleman and his kindness go beyond words. Although Bill will be greatly missed, we now find comfort and peace in that he is reunited with his beloved Gretes and the loved ones gone before him.
Visiting hours for William will be held Monday, July 22, 2024, from 8:45-9:30AM at the Slattery Funeral Home Inc., 40 Pleasant St., Marlborough, MA 01752. A funeral Mass will follow at 10:00AM at the Immaculate Conception Church, 11 Prospect St., Marlborough. Burial will be held at the Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Beach St., Marlborough.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Jimmy Fund, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284.
