Alice Marie Delaney

DELANEY, Alice Marie passed away on April 30, 2020 in Seminole, FL. Alice was born in Newark, New Jersey where she graduated from Central High School and Drake Business School. She moved to Seminole in 1948 with her parents Annette Barbara (nee Cox) and John Harold Gaw.

Her first position in Florida was with the Peninsular Telephone Company in Clearwater at which time there were only five girls in the business office. Back then, Clearwater was “a sleepy town” and the telephone office closed every Wednesday at noon during the summer months.

Long before the City of Seminole was founded she lived with her parents on Alternate 19 north of the Seminole Methodist Church and Orange Blossom Fruit Stand where her Dad had built rental cottages and their neighbors were the “Johnson family” and the “McMullen family” and the “Sims’ Country Store”. At that time, her Dad was Commander of VFW Post 9272 and the veterans would conduct their meetings at the “Old Cabin still standing” on Alt. 19 and 54th Avenue where her Mother and neighbors would cook and serve their popular fish dinners for the veterans.

In 1952 she was employed as a secretary at ASA Airlines (Aerovias Sud Americana, Inc.) stationed at the St Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, a cargo airline started by five local / World War II veterans. Jeeps that had been manufactured in the mid northwest and trucked to the airport would then be flown by ASA pilots to Cuba. Flights were then further scheduled to points in Central and South America where the pilots would return to the Pinellas Airport with shipments of bananas, Citronella oil and reptiles for the Tarpon Zoo. Alice was with the company approximately five years until it merged with Riddle Airlines in Miami.

She was then employed as a secretary to Floyd T. Christian, Superintendent of Pinellas County Schools, Mirror Lake Office in the 1950’s.

She became an active real estate agent in the 60’s and was employed as a church secretary during this same period of time.

Alice was employed by the Clerk of the Circuit Court serving as a Board Reporter to the Board of Pinellas County Commissioners from 1972 to 1987.

She was married to the late Joseph S. O’Brien II and to the late Dale W. Delaney who was killed in an automobile accident.

Alice was a member of the St Petersburg Women’s Club, the St Petersburg’s Woman’s Chamber of Commerce, a life member of the Florida Retired Educators’ Association, a life member of “Friends of the Library”, a member of the Art Guild at Treasure Island and a member of the Beach Art Center of Indian Rocks Beach.

She is survived by two sons Joseph S. O’Brien, III of Havana, FL and Dale W, Delaney, Jr., Esq. of Seminole along with four grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

It was Alice’s desire “to have no funeral service” – “no mourning” – “and to be thankful to the Lord that she had been able to share a remarkable long lifetime with her family and friends”. Alice will be entombed next to her parents at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park in Clearwater.

Condolences may be offered at www.serenityfuneralhomelargo.com.