Jeanette McQuade Delia

Sumter, SC…………..Jeanette McQuade Delia, age 73, beloved wife of 54 years to Thomas W. Delia, passed away on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Prisma Health Richland Hospital.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, she was the daughter of the late Charles Hammond McQuade and Janet (Jessie) Sinclair McQuade. She is survived by her husband; children Donna Delia Keller (Justin) of Blythewood, Sean Scott Delia of Sumter, and Sharon Delia Stone (Pat); five grandchildren: Elena, Logan, Lily, Abby and Xander; and brother Ian McQuade of Glapthorn, England. She was predeceased in death by her parents, brother Duncan McQuade, and sister Rachel Thomas.

Jeanette loved animals, and her heart yearned to adopt every dog she saw during her nightly scroll of Sumter SPCA’s website. Animals loved her back. Butterflies would rest on her hand and the friskiest of cats would be calmed by her touch. She also loved her garden, beautiful flowers, listening to her son Sean play guitar on the back patio, dancing at her daughters’ weddings, knitting little gifts, bingo every Sunday and Tuesday, and her cup of coffee that she nursed throughout the day. But most of all she loved her family. She never passed up an opportunity to take photos of her grandkids and was excited to share them on social media with relatives across the miles. 

Jeanette dearly missed her family in England and Scotland after the U.S. Air Force brought her to Shaw AFB. She loved raising her three children, never missing a baseball game or school play. She volunteered at the Shaw AFB hospital, worked at the on-base Baskin Robbins and Pizza Pub, and earned her bachelor’s degree from USC-Sumter, an achievement that she was most proud of. She loved to play board games, especially going out to trivia night with Tom. She bravely faced every challenge and was game for anything, whether it was going to college as a middle-aged adult, learning to ski, or ice skating with her granddaughter. Her adventurous spirit will live on in the grandchildren who adored her.

A celebration of life service will be held on Monday, November 17th,2025, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. at Bullock Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Sumter SPCA at 1140 S Guignard Dr., Sumter SC 29150.

You may go to www.bullockfuneralhome.com and sign the family’s guest book.

The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter for the arrangements.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jeanette McQuade Delia, please visit our floral store.