Toni Delisi, PsyD

Toni Delisi, age 81 years, died unexpectedly at home on Sunday, December 7, 2025.

She grew up in Hershey, PA, received a BA in English from The University of Delaware, and a Masters degree in Library Science from The University of Maryland. Upon graduation, she was employed by the National Security Agency and then moved to Panama to become a librarian in the Canal Zone library system.

Several years later, she returned to the U.S. and became a research librarian at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, where she was responsible for automating the library, when libraries were beginning to discard card catalogs and computerize operations. After working with representatives from Computer Library Systems, Inc. (CLSI), they asked her to join their company as a sales representative on Long Island. A year later she was promoted to sales manager for all of Canada. She next accepted a position at Digital Equipment Corporation in their training and development department, which sparked an interest in psychology. She was accepted to Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology in Newton (now known as William James College) and received a PsyD (Doctor of Psychology degree) in 1991.

Following graduation, she built a private practice specializing in bereavement, which she continued for the next 24 years. Everyone who knew her – both personally and professionally – loved her and respected her. She had an infectious personality, a wonderful smile and was always willing to talk with anyone who was experiencing problems in their lives.

Throughout her life she volunteered for a number of organizations, such as Pine Street Inn, Rosie’s Place, Pie in the Sky, The Boston House, among many others. Toni has an extended family whom she loved dearly and who considered her the glue that held the family together.

She leaves her husband, Hank Shafran and her two stepchildren, Michael and Debra Shafran, her brother, Anthony J. Delisi, Jr. & his wife Marilyn of Hershey, PA, two nieces, two nephews, and four grandnieces and a grandnephew. She was predeceased by her sister, Bernadine Delisi Hoylman.

A Celebration of Life will take place Monday December 15 at 12:00pm at Granite Links, 100 Quarry Hills Drive, Quincy, MA 02169.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Toni’s memory to The Boston House, 229 Kent St., Brookline, MA 02446, www.thebostonhouse.org