Obituary of William Francis Delaney

William (Bill) Delaney

Colonel William (Bill) Delaney, PhD., passed away on August 14, 2023. Bill was born on December 16, 1930, in Brooklyn, NY. He was graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1952, where he was a United States Air Force (USAF) Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) cadet. As a newly Commissioned Second Lieutenant, Bill met his future wife, Maria Mercedes Aponte-Hernandez, “Merce,” while attending a dance at Siena College in Memphis, Tennessee and they married a year later in Chattanooga following his first Air Force assignment in Iceland.

Bill’s 22-year Air Force career included assignments as Supply Officer and Logistician during tours at Keflavik Air Base (AB), Iceland, Loring Air Force Base (AFB), Maine; the Case Institute, Ohio; Tachikawa AB, Japan; Kelly AFB, San Antonio, Texas; Torrejon AB, Spain; the Strategic Air Command (SAC), Offutt AFB near Belview, Nebraska; and  Headquarters USAF in the Pentagon, where Bill served on the Staff of the Air Force Inspector General. Bill’s Air Force awards included:    Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster; the Air and Space Commendation Medal (ASCM); the National Defense Service Medal (NDSM); the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) with 1 Bronze Service Star; and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM)

After retiring from the Air Force, Bill earned his Doctorate in Education from Catholic University while serving as the Chief of the Logistics Division for the Department of Defense Dependents’ Schools. Bill later served as an Investigator for the House Appropriations Committee prior to his final retirement.

Wherever Bill went, he actively participated in his local Catholic community, where he often served as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister. He was also 4th Degree Knight of Columbus and a member of both the Our Lady of Hope and Falcons Landing Catholic communities. Throughout his career, Bill volunteered in multiple adult leadership positions with the Boy Scouts of America. He also coached youth Baseball and Soccer teams and later volunteered as a Soccer Referee. When not coaching, Bill loved participating in competitive sports, he played on adult league Softball teams and excelled at Squash, once winning an Air Force championship. Bill was also an avid Golfer and he volunteered on the Fort Belvoir Committee.

Bill is survived by his loving wife, Merce, his children, Bill, Mike, Steve, Maureen, Pat, and Kathy, fourteen grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren.