Obituary of leslie phillips dellinger

Leslie Phillips Dellinger, 81, of Pensacola, Florida, formerly of Morganton, NC went to heaven peacefully on Friday, November 22, 2019. She is predeceased by her parents, Fonnie Lee and Annie Leslie Phillips. Leslie is survived by her devoted husband of 60 years, Jack David Dellinger. Additional survivors include her two loving daughters, Caroline Dellinger Lambert (Todd) of Pensacola, FL and Sude Dellinger Peta of Atlanta, GA; her adored triplet grandchildren, Milly, Sabine, and Jack Peta, and her doting miniature poodle, Peppi. A loving mother and homemaker, Leslie was the beating heart and bright shining soul of our family. She was a fountain of optimism and effervescent joy with an unforgettable laugh and smile that will live on in our hearts forever. Leslie was adored by everyone she met on her life path as she was always kind beyond measure, inclusive of all, and uniquely herself. She was our family’s biggest cheerleader, and loved her roles of Mom and Grandma more than anything else in this world. Leslie was born March 1, 1938 in New Haven, Connecticut. When she was 3, her parents moved the family to Morganton NC; this idyllic town is where she enjoyed her childhood until she graduated from Morganton High School. Leslie attended Meredith College in Raleigh and was swept off her feet by the love of her life, an NC State graduate engineer named Jack. The early years of their marriage shuffled the young couple to Dayton, Ohio and then on to Bethesda, MD. Leslie was thrilled to work as a Research Administrative Assistant at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda. Jack accepted an opportunity with IBM in 1963 that relocated the happy couple to Huntsville, Alabama. Throughout her life, Leslie made scores of friends and was known as the highly spirited “life of the party” in the Piedmont neighborhood of Huntsville; Coca-Cola was her beverage of choice. Her hobbies included Garden Club, hosting bridge nights and their fun-filled annual 4th of July parties. Leslie was the popular Mom whose home and trees were frequently rolled with toilet paper affectionately by neighborhood teens; they also lovingly inscribed “Mrs. D” in shaving cream on the windows to ensure that she knew the gesture was intended for her. In 1992, Leslie and Jack moved to their forever home in the beautiful tree-lined neighborhood of Woodrun in Northeast Pensacola. Leslie bonded quickly with the amazing women of Woodrun, joining in on the fun WWW gatherings (secret club) and was blessed with the finest neighbors that we consider family. In the summertime, you could not lure Leslie out of her pool. She always said that she felt more at home in the water than on land. A true Piscean. Leslie absolutely jumped for joy watching Pensacola’s beloved Blue Angels and was an overly enthusiastic UNC Carolina basketball fan! The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to all the exceptional and compassionate caregivers during her last days at West Florida Hospital and Covenant Hospice. We are especially appreciative and grateful for Leslie’s ever-loving, caring and supportive Creekside family. Solar-powered and fueled by warm water, Leslie desired to be cremated and returned to the warm Gulf of Mexico at her favorite beach. There will be an intimate family Celebration of Life gathering later next Spring or Summer. She insisted that the water temperature be at least 80 degrees as she despised the cold. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation. (www.kidney.org)