Delia ""Dee"" Delphina Candelaria

Delia ""Dee"" Candelaria passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on March 14, 2015. She will be remembered as a loving sister, mother, grand-mother, and great-grandmother as well as a devoted Catholic. Born June 27, 1921, to Epifanio Antonio and Genevieve Garcia in Aguilar, Colorado, Delia lived a childhood on the move. She lived in Denver, the Spanish Colony near Greeley, and unincorporated Arapahoe County by the time she entered first grade, and attended five different elementary schools. She graduated from West High School in 1941. The second oldest of eight children, she had six brothers: John, Ben, William, Peter, Edward, and Robert, as well as a sister, Mary Lou. She has been described as being like a second mother by her brothers and sister. Since her parents did not speak English, she represented them in many business dealings, and even registered her siblings for school and attended all parent-teacher conferences, though not all her siblings were happy for this help. She also helped her siblings in matters of the faith, which was also sometimes appreciated more than others. A tireless worker, she held several jobs after high school. She worked at the Denver Bureau of Vital Statistics before taking a wartime job at the Air Force Spec Depot on Wazee Street. She then worked as a clerk typist at the New Customs building. She married her first husband Edward Marcello Candelaria on June 10, 1945. Together the two had six sons, Edward, Joseph, Ralph, Anthony, Charles, and Raymond, before her husband died in 1958. Ever an independent woman, she worked hard to support her six boys, working in real estate before starting her own income tax return preparation business in 1968. She also continued to help her sons, including helping care for her grandchildren: Jasen, Anthony, Atlee, Matthew, Zoey, Linus, Marcella, Vanessa, Charles, Amanda, Andrea, Alexis, Justin, Irene, and Troy. Her grandchildren also thought of her as a second mother, and benefited greatly from her guidance, support, wisdom, and, most of all, her love. Delia was a devoted Catholic, attending mass regularly as long as she was able. She was also seen regularly as a volunteer at church bazaars and bingo, and was a member of the Altar and Rosary Society. In traveling, she enjoyed combining her interests in family and religion, visiting sites related to her family history as well as seeing historic churches throughout the southwest US and northern Mexico. She also traveled throughout the rest of the US to see relatives in Michigan, Florida, Alabama, and California. She also traveled with a church group to Spain and Italy, visiting Rome and the Vatican. In recent years, she has continued to serve as the center of her increasingly large family, bringing them together for holidays and other special occasions. She has welcomed seventeen great-grandchildren: Isaiah, Ethan, Owen, Ashley, Chloe, Quentin, Raynor, Ezra, Aurora, Joseph, Maya, Daisy, Isaac, Charles, Ava, Colt, and Ashlynn. There will be a viewing on Tuesday March 24 at 4:00 PM and Rosary 6:30 PM at Horan & McConaty, 3020 Federal Blvd. A Funeral Mass will be held Wednesday March 25th, 10:00 AM, at All Saints Catholic Church, 2559 So. Federal Blvd, followed by burial at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Please share your memories of Dee and condolences with her family by leaving a message in the Guestbook below.