Carrie Delp was born Catherine Elizabeth Delp in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 21, 1987. She passed away at the age of 34. She was the daughter, relative, and friend of many people who will miss her greatly.
While attending A.M. Kulp Elementary School in Hatfield, Pa., Carrie announced that she wanted to be a teacher. Her trajectory was set at that early age. She served as a student teacher in a career study program through North Penn High School and never looked back. While growing up, Carrie made friendships that still last today. She played all sports, studied dance, took part in show choir, high school choir, and theater productions. She danced at Disney World and sang at Universal Studios.
As a member of BranchCreek Community Church in Harleysville, Carrie brought her love of children to the church nursery until she left for college. She also scooped mounds of ice cream every weekend at Merry Mead in Worcester.
Carrie enrolled in Bloomsburg University where she majored in elementary education and early child development. She found lifelong friends when she pledged the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority, Delta Chi chapter. The university prepared Carrie well and she easily found employment as a special education teacher, working in some of the more impoverished parts of Philadelphia.
She was with Elwyn, a human services nonprofit organization, for more than a decade. Once again, Carrie formed heartfelt friendships with many of her coworkers. Wanting to do more, Carrie enrolled in Eastern University where she received her master’s degree and was certified as a school psychologist. She served as the psychologist for several schools, including Germantown Friends School, working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through it all, Carrie found plenty of time for her friends – young and old, who are grieving today. To Carrie, friendships were paramount, and life was to be lived to the fullest. There was never a celebration she didn’t want to attend, a party she didn’t want to plan, a trip she didn’t want to take. While living in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, Carrie had plans for most weekends. She was either headed to Lansdale or the Poconos to see friends, or she was going to a sorority sister’s baby shower. Down time was rare.
She was equally generous with her time for her family, traveling to Florida to see her father and grandmother, or planning a beach trip with her cousins. Before making holiday plans, she always checked that her mother wouldn’t be alone. And as an aunt for the first time, she volunteered to spend her summer vacation babysitting for her sister Susie’s newborn, Ari.
Just days before her death, Carrie served as a bridesmaid for a very good friend, enjoying all the pageantry and customary activities that go with a wedding. When she left this earth, Carrie had experienced more fun and love than most people enjoy in a long lifetime. We were blessed to have her, reluctant to give her back to God, and forever grateful for the gift she was.
Carrie is survived by her mother Barbara (Donaghey) Delp of Philadelphia; her father, William Ellis Delp and his wife Sue of Sarasota, Fla.; brother Bryan Charles Delp of Philadelphia; sister Susie Delp and her partner Doug Nalbandian and their son Ari William Nalbandian of Horsham. Also surviving is her paternal grandmother Annabel Delp Ryan of Bradenton, Fla. She is also the niece of (Ret.) Col. John Bastone and his wife Brenda of Gulf Breeze, Fla., and Tom and Kelly Reynolds of Louisville, Kentucky. First cousins include Gina and Sam Trevino of Austin, Texas; Captain A.J. Bastone and his wife Jessica of Wiesbaden, Germany; Andy Bastone of Atlanta; Erin Reynolds of Astoria, N.Y.; and Will Reynolds of Louisville. She was preceded in death by her aunt, Jeanne (Donaghey) Bastone.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Jumpstart, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that was formed to promote high-quality early learning. It operates throughout the nation, including Pennsylvania. Log onto https://www.jstart.org/donate/
If guests would like to share photographs of Carrie with the family, they would love to receive them at the service. Please bring a photo with your memory written on the back that we can place in an album. There will also be resources for you to write down memories of your time with Carrie and share them with the family.
Services will be at 3 pm, Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, at Resurrection Philadelphia Church at 17th and Sansom streets, Philadelphia. Social distancing and masks are required due to Philadelphia ordinances. A light reception will be held in the church fellowship room after the service.
For those who would like to view the service from afar, it will be livestreamed on You Tube, starting about 2:55 pm Saturday, Sept. 4. Please go to https://www.youtube.com/resurrectionphiladelphia to view the service.
Free parking passes will be provided at the service. The passes will only cover parking underneath the Westin Hotel at the intersections of 17th and Chestnut streets, or 16th and Chestnut streets.
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