Faith Delevante

Faith was born in Brunswick, NJ on May 9, 1931, to Micaela Mouton Housten and Harry James Housten. Her first several years were lived at their home in Packanack Lake, NJ. Faith's mother passed away 1943. When Faith's father married Leona Estelle Monat McKenzie in 1944, she requested their wedding be on her birthday, May 9th.

The family moved to Rutherford, NJ in 1948, and Faith graduated from Rutherford High School in 1949. She attended Gibbs Secretarial School and then worked for the Prudential Insurance Company in Newark, NJ.

Faith married Alan Wendell Delevante, Jr., on August 22, 1954. They lived for many years in Rutherford, NJ, and gave birth to a daughter Cheryl. After saving for many years, Faith and Al bought a residence in her childhood community of Packanack Lake, NJ, and son Harry (December 21, 1961-August 29, 2014) was born while living at the lake. There, Faith pursued her interest in synchronized swimming.

She also delved into creative arts, beginning with tole painting, and later other types of media. What started as a hobby became a second career when Faith was hired as a crafts instructor at the local LeeWards Creative Crafts Store. Later, Faith and Al relocated to Texas after she accepted a position as a traveling crafts instructor with Ben Franklin Stores in Arlington. Her next role was as a traveling sales representative for a framing company, and she traveled to stores in Texas and beyond.

She derived inspiration for her paintings by traveling to many places in the Southwest. she had a particular affinity for the landscapes in New Mexico and Arizona, which were reflected in her canvases for many years.

Faith was a prolific reader and was intrigued by esoteric issues. She attended Deepak Chopra retreats in Carlsbad, CA. She was a member of Toastmasters international, and was an award-winning storyteller. She was fascinated by the stories of indigenous peoples in the United States and Australia. Following her husband's passing, Faith traveled to Australia. After moving to be near her half-sister, Leona Housten Stemple and brother-in-law, Aubrey Hartman Stemple, in Montgomery, AL, she returned to Australia on a longer trip, and visited Uluru (often referred to as Ayer's Rock).

Faith is survived by her daughter, Cheryl Delevante of Panama City, FL; her sister Leona Stemple (Hart); sister-in-law Elaine Housten (Samuel, deceased) of Palo Alto, CA; and granddaughter Tiffany Bohannon of Costa Mesa, CA (daughter of Harry), and great granddaughters, Cali and Capri.

Faith will be laid to rest with her husband Al, in Arlington, TX. A celebration of life will be held with family at a later date.

A Thank you to Montgomery Baptist Hospice for their care of Faith.

The staff at Moore Funeral Home encourages family and friends to express their fond memories, expressions of sympathy and additional condolences to the family of Miriam Faith Delevante, by visiting www.moore-funeralhome.com.