Franklin William Delaney (aka Bill, Wild Bill, Pops), 88, passed away on April 24, 2023, at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore from complications associated with a fall at his home that occurred five weeks earlier.

Bill was born on July 8, 1934, to George and Rebecca Delaney in Grafton, West Virginia, and was the seventh of nine siblings. After he graduated high school, he joined the U.S. Navy where he spent four years on aircraft carriers, including the USS Midway, where he served as an aircraft mechanic. The Navy provided him a pathway to higher education via the GI Bill and was also his first introduction to traveling the world.

After his military service was completed, he enrolled at West Virginia University and later transferred to Fairmont State where he received his BA degree in social studies. He moved to the Washington DC/Maryland area and taught at Arundel High School in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, for 31 years. He loved teaching and was always eager to return to the classroom in the fall. However, many of his summers were spent earning his master's degree from the University of Maryland.

While teaching at Arundel, he met, fell in love with and married his wife of 58 years, Brenda Anderson of Monticello, Ky. They had two sons, Kevin Anderson and Jeffrey Darren. Bill is survived by two sisters, Sandra Delaney and Rosemary Goss, his wife Brenda, son Kevin, daughter-in-law Jean and grandson Keegan Jeffrey, and many nieces and nephews who mourn his loss. He was preceded in death by his son, Jeffrey, six brothers and sisters and his parents.

Following his retirement in 1991, he enjoyed playing golf (badly) with his friends, but most of all he enjoyed travelling the world with Brenda. Some of the places they visited include China, Mexico, Peru, The Galapagos Islands, Russia, Croatia, France, Great Britain, Norway, Finland, Tanzania, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Costa Rica, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Germany, Morocco, Sicily and Malta. Bill recently said that his favorite place he ever visited was Machu Picchu in Peru.

He loved being a father and was very present in his children's lives. Of the hundreds of games and events that his children participated in, he made it a priority to be there for all of them. And because they owned a station wagon, Bill was often driving the team and equipment to and from games as well. Maybe even more so, he loved being Keegan's grandfather; taking him on long walks in the woods, fishing off the pier, riding the lawn tractor together or just hanging out. Bill's actions spoke louder than his words, and his children and grandson always knew that they were deeply loved.

A private service will be held at Crownsville Veterans Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that a donation be made in Bill's memory to: St. Jude's Children's Hospital or The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.