PATRICIA (PATTY) A. (CLARK) DELANCEY Patricia (Patty) A. (Clark) DeLancey, died March 24, 2023 at her home, surrounded by her loving family. Patty was born June 16, 1955 to Robert A. Clark and Lou Ellen (Everett) Clark in Waukegan, Illinois. Patty attended school in Waukegan, IL., before moving to Gurnee in 1968, where she finished her schooling and graduated from Warren Township High School, in 1973. She later graduated Cum Laude, with a B.A. in Elementary Education, and a minor in History from Carthage College, Kenosha, WI. She also completed a M. Ed. In Early Childhood Leadership and Advocacy, receiving the Graduate, Exemplary Student Award, and Best Practices Recognition, from National Lewis University in Evanston, IL.
Patty and her husband Brian, the son of Robert and Dorothy Dix DeLancey, relocated from the Waukegan, Illinois area to Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1989. Kenosha became their second “hometown”.
Patty was always involved both professionally and personally working with children, and/or music, including as an Special Education Assistant for the Special Education District of Lake County. (S.E.D.O.L.), volunteered as a choral director at Glen Flora Elementary School in Waukegan, Community-wide PTO/PTA Co-President with her husband, volunteered and tutored in local schools, served as children’s choir director at First Baptist Church, and St. John’s United Church of Christ, Waukegan, volunteered as Bible School Director, and worked as Supt. Of Sunday School and as Adult Music Director for St. John’s U.C.C. She taught at Immaculate Conception School and Lake Shore Catholic Academy, Waukegan, St. Bede Elementary School, Ingleside, Il.; and St. Casimir School, Kenosha. Her music extravaganza programs were epic.
Patty went on to work as Community Program Director/Child Care Resource & Referral Director of Lake County. There, she served on numerous local, county, and state level committees and boards of directors for many organizations, to further the care and education of children. She organized and held the first two Child Care Summits in Lake County., bringing together businesses, early childhood professionals, and legislators to improve the quality of professional training and care of young children along with Eleanor Bryant of the Lake County Health Department, she helped create the Child Care Nurse Practitioner Guidelines and practices to be used statewide. Her impact on the quality of care of young children in Lake County still exists today.
Later she worked as Community Programs Director and District Coordinator for the Reading Rescue Program, for Racine Unified School District, Racine, Wisconsin. While there, she earned the Afterschool Ambassador designation for the State of Wisconsin, through the Afterschool Alliance, one of only 25 in the country.
Patty went on to teach at Kendall College in Evanston, Illinois and later started her own business, Educational Consulting Services, before retiring due to health issues.
In addition to her hobbies of sewing, decorating and crafts, Patty was passionate about her lifelong hobby of genealogy, which she pursued for over 35 years, tracing her family lines in this country back to the 1630’s in this country, and in Europe on some lines to the 1200’s., documenting back 23 generations. She was able to connect her family to Native American ancestry, signers of the Declaration of Independence, and the early settlers of this country and the Medici family in Italy to name a few. Family members served in every war/conflict this country has had.
Patty married Brian R. DeLancey, her best friend and soulmate, of 47 years, on 17 Jan 1976 in Waukegan, Illinois. She was a devoted mother and grandmother. The other loves of her life were daughter Erin C. (DeLancey) Barnlund, her son-in-law Brent Barnlund, grandchildren Savannah Lou Barnlund, and Aiden Brian Barnlund, all of Kenosha. Also surviving are sister Kathy Petroshius, brother Ken Clark, nieces Kristen and Angela Petroshius, spouses and families, nephew Jacob Clark, sister-in-law Marilyn Smith, and numerous cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert Andrew Clark and Lou Ellen Everett Clark of Waukegan, Illinois, her grandparents, Walter Lee Everett and Carrie Lee Wilkerson Everett of Suwanee, Georgia, and Robin Henry Clark and Sudie Elizabeth Bowman Clark, of Gainesville, Georgia, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
The family would like to thank Dr. Cook, Alyssa and staff at Aurora 22nd Ave; TJ at Aurora Hospital, Aurora at Home Hospice, and Shenae with Aurora Pharmacy for their care and medical support.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday March 30th, 2023 at 7:00pm at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. (8760 37th Ave) Visitation with the family will be on Thursday at the church from 6:00pm until time of service. Burial will take place at Mt. Olivet Memorial Park in Zion IL.
