Delia MacDougall

Delia A. MacDougall, 75, of Ottawa passed away Wednesday, September 8, 2021, at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, with her husband and children by her side.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 9 at 1:00 pm at Ottawa Funeral Home. A visitation will be held from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm prior to the services at the funeral home on Saturday. Ottawa Funeral home has been entrusted with arrangements.

Delia was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Hugh and Betty McGinn; she was the “favorite” of their seven children.   Delia spent the majority of her childhood in Chillicothe, Ohio, where she loved being a part of a big, loud, loving family.  She did not, however, like sharing her clothes with her four sisters.

She graduated from Ohio University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in history.  While attending OU, she met her husband, James MacDougall.  It was love at first sight for him, but she had to be convinced.  Delia married her college sweetheart, Jim, enjoying 53 years of wedded bliss.  Delia was blessed with three loving children: Carey, Megan and Shaun.  She adored being Nana to her seven grandchildren and was so proud of each and every one of them.

Delia was the librarian at Central School for thirty-one years, which she described as “the best job in the world.”  She was a voracious reader and loved sharing that passion for literature with her students.  A highlight of her job was reading books to the kids and helping them discover new authors.  

Delia never knew a stranger, much to the chagrin of her husband and children.  A simple outing to the store would take twice as long as normal because Delia would have to talk to both friends and the woman trying to decide between shampoos.  Delia’s voluble personality will be missed by her family and friends.  While there was no such thing as a “quick” phone call, Delia could turn your day around with clear perspectives, sharp witticisms, and sassy humor.

She is survived by her husband, Jim; three children, Carey MacDougall of Springfield, IL, Megan (Buddy) Gass of St. Augustine, FL, and Shaun (Nora) MacDougall of Westfield, IN; seven grandchildren, Jordan, James, Ryan, Finnegan, Declan, Rowan, and Fiona; one brother, Michael (Michaela) McGinn; and four sisters, Mary Pat (David) Holewinski, Kathy (John)  Hayes, Molly Thimons, and Kelly (Mark) Duffy.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Tom McGinn.  

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