Anita Story Delp

Anita Story Delp, 53 of North East, MD, passed away suddenly of unknown cause into the arms of Jesus at home on Sunday, January 15, 2023.

Born in West Helena, AR on January 7, 1970, she was the daughter of Frances Story and the late, William “Bud” Story.

Anita had a passion for working with children and in particular teens.  As a Youth Services Librarian she was a light to countless kids.  She held positions as a Special Education Teacher at Las Americas ASPIRA Academy in Newark, DE, Speech Language Assistant at Cecil County Public Schools, and Youth Services Librarian at the Cecil County Public Library North East Branch.  Whether it was working in speech therapy, in the school system, or in the library system, working with kids was truly her calling and she excelled at it.  

Anita held a Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology, a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a minor in Linguistics from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.  She had also just completed her Masters of Library Sciences and Information at the University of Alabama in 2022.

She was a beloved member of the Newark Church of Christ in Newark, DE where she loved working in the nursery, greeting visitors, and talking to anyone who needed a listening ear.  She loved knitting, crocheting, working in the yard, and had a green thumb for all things planted in dirt.  She was so proud last year of her lemon tree she named “Sunny” who yielded 12 lemons that she used to make a Thanksgiving dessert.  She always took time to enjoy the finer things in life such as the shape of a tree, a cloud formation, sunrises and sunsets, shells and rocks, and the vibrant colors of flowers.

She is survived by her husband of 14 years: John D. Delp of North East, MD; children: Clayton Gage and Claire Gage both of Fort Worth, TX; mother: Frances Story of North East, MD; sister: Dana Davis (Michael) of Little Rock, AR; mother-in-law: Patsy Delp of North East, MD; sister-in-law: Jane Gardner (Raymond) of Newark, DE; nephews: Shelby Cheatham (Victoria) of Little Rock, AR, Daniel Cheatham (Erica) of Warren, AR, Matthew and Andrew Gardner both of Newark, DE; and many aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family.

In addition to her father, Anita was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents: Roy and Mable Hindsley; paternal grandfather: Shelby Hagar; paternal grandmother: Berniece Flener; and father-in-law: Clarence Delp.

Visitation services will be held Friday, January 20, 2023 from 4:00 pm-6:30 pm at Newark Church of Christ, 91 Salem Church Road, Newark, DE. Funeral services will begin at 7:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Anita’s memory to the Newark Church of Christ or to the LULAC of Cecil County organization.

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