Obituary of William J. Delaney

Rensselaer- William J. "Bill" Delaney passed away on June 23, 2022, at The University of Vermont Medical Center after a brief illness. Bill was born on June 10, 1952, to Thomas and Marion Delaney of Rensselaer, N.Y. Bill attended St. Joseph’s Elementary School, Christian Brothers Academy, and Manhattan College.

After college, Bill lived in Schenectady and worked at General Electric for 20 years. He moved back to Rensselaer, where he married the love of his life, Linda. He worked another 20 years at Albany Medical Center as a computer operator. Bill and Linda shared many great times over the years with their Rensselaer friends at “Little Fella’s.”

Bill retired in 2017 and moved to Willsboro, N.Y., on beautiful Lake Champlain, where Linda tended her garden and Bill read and listened to his tunes, further honing his knowledge of music trivia.

Bill is survived by his two wonderful daughters, Michelle (Mike) Petroff and Sarah (Ryan) Velenosi, and his amazing grandchildren, Dillon and Henry Petroff and Riley Velenosi. In addition to his loving wife Linda, Bill is also survived by his siblings, Tom (Sandra), Joan Wolk, Mary, and John (Kathy), and many nieces and nephews who adored him.

Music was Bill’s true passion in life, which started with his founding membership of the Jug Band at CBA and continued with his stint as a DJ at Manhattan (where he set the record for 72 continuous hours on the air), his Woodstock experience, and his attendance at many Grateful Dead shows. Bill loved his music, as evidenced by a truly impressive collection of classic vinyl.

Rock and Roll Heaven just got a new DJ. Rock on, Bill. You will be missed!

Funeral from the W.J. Lyons Jr. Funeral Home, 1700 Washington Avenue, Rensselaer Tuesday, June 28th at 5PM. Relatives and friends are invited and may call prior to the service from 3-5 PM.