Mary Katherine "Kat" (Castle, Pinzone) Delahanty, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend passed away at 85 from natural causes on Monday January 6th, 2025, in Houston, Texas. She will be greatly missed.

Mary was born on October 24, 1939, in Floyd County, Kentucky and later moved with her parents Louise and Jim Pinzone, to Cliffside Park, New Jersey. She graduated Cliffside Park Highschool in 1956 with honors with studies in dramatic arts and English. In 1964, while working as a bank teller, she met her future husband Joseph (Joe) Francis Delahanty, a Mechanical Engineer, and President of the PJ Manufacturing Company. Married at Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church on February 13, 1965, they were blessed with two children, James (Jim) and Lisa Delahanty. They moved to Houston, Texas in 1970 where she lived until her passing. Widowed in March of 2022, she had 57 years of happy marriage.

A devoted mother, Mary held many different jobs throughout her storied career to include bank teller, realtor, marketing assistant, and executive secretary. She was so creative, writing poetry and songs with a dream of writing greeting cards. Talented, she had two poems, and one song published in the Houston Post and Chronical, one which one first place and a trip on the Goodyear blimp! Mary was very playful, clever, and funny, bringing out joy in her husband and others. A lover of games, she was a fierce competitor at cards (canasta) and enjoyed penny slot gambling, and games of chance. She was also a marvel and loved drinking black coffee, amazingly consuming nine cups of coffee a day without any effect. At home she loved to redecorate and wallpaper her and other neighbor's homes any time she could. Generous, she loved to cook and entertain others. Few who came to her home were strangers, hosting neighbors, friends and her children's friends for dinner and parties, loving to have a house full. Mary also loved adventure and traveled for many years taking road trips with her children and grandchildren, traveling on twelve boat cruises with dear friend Cathy Shepherd, and with her husband to Korea, Bombay India, and many domestic locations. Intelligent, feisty, and eclectic in her interests, she loved everything from politics, current news, to the national inquirer, and American Ninja Warriors. Her greatest joy, however, was socializing at home. She loved being a mother and grandmother, dedicating her love and attention to her children and grandchildren. She often spent time entertaining in her home, cooking favorite dishes for birthdays and holidays cherished to this day. Enthusiastic about radio, music and talk shows, she also unabashedly loved Elvis Presley gospel music and artists like Neil Diamond.

Throughout her life, Mary loved to dress up and did not resist opportunities to go dancing with her husband Joe, creating memories of grace and romance to anyone lucky enough to see them. In the last year of her life, she was unable to walk independently and often spoke about the day when she would join her husband in heaven and dance once again. A practicing Catholic, she was charitable, and generous to those who needed her help. We all feel blessed to have loved her and will miss how she loved others, her eyes smiled, and the joy she brought, but rejoice knowing she is dancing with her husband now!

Mary is survived by son James (Jim) Delahanty (wife Tuesdai), daughter Lisa Delahanty-Raymond (husband Michael), and three devoted grandchildren: Kailey Delahanty (Martinez) (husband Jay), James Delahanty, Suzanne Delahanty and great grandchild Wednesdai Martinez; She also had three step grandchildren Steven Raymond (Paige), Melissa Raymond Marrone (Brandon), Krissi Raymond Kelly (Nick) and six great step-grandchildren (Paisely, Peter, Bethany, Nathaneal, Moriah and Klara). She is also survived by Sister-in-law Mary (Delahanty) Lally (husband John) and sixteen admiring nieces and nephews. Mary is predeceased by husband Joseph Delahanty, Parents Louise and Jim Pinzone, and younger sister, Lurlie Castle.

She will be honored at a funeral mass and reception at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, in Houston, Texas on Thursday, February 13th at 10:15 am. She will be laid to rest with her husband Joseph Francis Delahanty at the Houston National (Veterans) Cemetery at 1:30pm.

A special thank you to Prince of Peace Catholic Church: Father Tom Ponzini, Deacon Bill Barnes, Max Fritzel, and other ministry personnel as well as Father Aloysius Fernandes of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, who demonstrated such love and compassion praying and visiting her over the years. We would also like to thank the many nurses, doctors, and aids at Methodist and HCA Northwest hospital as well as the management, staff, and assistants at the Highland Park Rehabilitation Hospital, helping her find healing and joy in her final days. We send blessings to family and friends who joined her on this journey and loved her throughout her long life.

Please feel free to share your fond memories and expressions of sympathy on this site for the family.