our history

Our History

Delehanty Funeral Home was founded in 1949 by Thomas and Lorraine Delehanty. The original funeral home was in the Weldon Farm house at the southwest corner of North Second Street and Merrill Avenue. The funeral home remained in its first location until 1955, when it was moved around the corner to our current location at 401 River Lane.


Tom and Lorraine operated Loves Park’s first ambulance service until 1971. From 1950 to 1961, the funeral home served as Loves Park's first police and fire communications center. Calls were directed to the funeral home and answered by either Tom or Lorraine. Information was then forwarded to the local police or fire department. Over the years many stories were exchanged and many cups of coffee were shared with Loves Park policemen, firemen and a multitude of friends in the second-floor kitchen of the Delehanty home on River Lane.

The funeral home facilities remained the same from 1955 to 1970, but as the community grew, and with Tom and Lorraine's dedication and involvement in the community and funeral profession, an addition was built in 1970 to the northeast side of the building, adding over 2,500 square feet. In 1984, an additional 2,500 square foot addition was added on the southeast side of the building, in keeping with the continued growth of the funeral home and the Loves Park community. We have the largest facilities in the area with over 10,000 square feet of chapel, arrangement area and office space and seating for 300.


We are a family owned, community based funeral home. We are also extremely proud of our dedicated staff, which includes Tim Conway, who has been with the funeral home since the 1980s, Rebecca VanZuiden, who has been with us since the 1990s, and Joe Trapani who joined us in the 2000s.

The dedication and commitment of Delehanty Funeral Home to the people of this community, the cities of Loves Park, Machesney Park and Greater Rockford area has not changed over the past 75 years and will not change in the future.


The family and staff of Delehanty Funeral Home are committed to the families we have served and will serve in the future.

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Online Memorial

We can create a customized, online memorial for you to share with family and friends. The memorial includes the obituary and any photographs you wish to provide. It will serve as a place for visitors to post condolences, share memories, upload photos, and light candles in honor of your loved one.

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Tribute Video

Tribute videos have become a heartfelt addition to the services offered by funeral homes. They beautifully blend cherished photos, video clips, and meaningful music into a touching montage that honors the life and cherished memories of a loved one. These videos offer a sense of closure and comfort during a difficult time, creating a lasting keepsake for grieving families and friends to share their grief and pay tribute. We excel in crafting these personal tributes, ensuring they capture the unique essence of the departed, providing a meaningful and comforting way to remember their life.

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Ordering Flowers

We make it easy for friends and family to send flowers to your home or service to honor your loved one. We have partnered with local florists to offer the convenience of ordering directly from the obituary page of our website. You can also use this to select the flowers you would like at the service.

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Sharing Service Details

We reduce the stress of contacting those who need the details of the service for your loved one. Through the online memorial on our website, we will post the dates and times of the service. You can then either share the memorial on your social media or copy the details from the site into an email or text.