- Date Of Birth: March 16, 1937
- Date Of Death: June 8, 2015
- State: Florida
Charles Wallace DeLanoy (Charlie), 78, passed away at Delray Medical Center in Delray Beach, FL after a battle with cancer. While he was determined to defy the disease, and fought a valiant fight; he will join his brother William, his son Bobby, and his best friend Jack in the next life.
Charlie is survived by his loving wife of 24 years Mary DeLanoy, his sister Betty DeLanoy Carpenter, his son Charles DeLanoy, daughter Debbie DeLanoy Frascone, step daughters Dora Krause, Louise Mann, and Charlotte Brown, his grandsons Charles DeLanoy and Larry Krause Jr., granddaughters Laura Burton, Mary Holl, Melissa Kelly, Meagan Krause, Michelle Krause, Jennifer Mann, his eleven great grandchildren and numerous friends. One of Charlie’s most memorable sayings was “I hate kids”, but each of the children, those grand and great knew he was really full of love.
Charlie was born in Ossining, NY where he resided until 2014 when he moved to Delray Beach, FL. He owned his own painting company DeLanoy Painting and proudly painted the walls and halls of Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Tarrytown, NY as well as many homes and businesses. Today, the walls that he papered and painted are his legacy, and those who were fortunate to have met Charlie know how truly talented and knowledgeable he was in his trade; the frequent paint on his hands was evidence of the many lives he touched.
For over 50 years he was an active member of the Holla Hose Company No.5 Fire Department in Ossining, NY where he was esteemed as an Honorary Fire Chief, Captain, and Commissioner. There, he would often volunteer his time to cook meals, clean the station and maintain a garden.
If you were fortunate to meet Charlie, you probably know that not only were his hands often speckled with paint, he also had a green thumb. He was a tomato connoisseur and there was nothing more prolific than one of his gardens. His ability to grow a juicy, plump tomato could not be matched, and he would drive around to the fruit and vegetable stands in Florida on a quest to find a decent tomato as he found Florida’s tomato season to be subpar; however, he did succeed in coercing a few plump tomatoes out of his stubborn Florida plants.
While gardening was a favorite pastime, Charlie was also a skilled cook; he took over many kitchens. Thanksgiving, Christmas and weekly dinners were always more enjoyable if Charlie was the chef. If you happened to reach around him to steal something yummy, he would gruffly tell you to “get out of here” as his eyes danced and twinkled.
When he wasn’t painting, gardening or cooking, you would see Charlie driving around all of his old stomping grounds from Tarrytown and Ossining to Seaside Heights.
While Charlie tried to uphold a bit of a gruff New Yorker persona, those who were close to him could only see his tenderness. He was a proud man; just like his favorite singer Merle Haggard shared: “Where I’ve been or where I’m goin’ didn’t take a lot of knowin’, but I take a lot of pride in what I am.” He was proud of his family, his business, his fire department, and his life. He was full of love; evident in how he loved his wife Mary, his siblings, children, grandchildren, great-grandkids and beloved dog Jack. Charles Wallace DeLanoy will be greatly missed by all who were blessed to know him.
The family would encourage any friends or family to share a photo on this memorial page.
