Donald Louis Courtney, Sr.

October 1, 1934 - April 24, 2026

Donald (Don) Louis Courtney, Sr. passed away peacefully on April 24, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. He was born the youngest of nine children to Mary Edith and W. Francis Courtney in a happy, Irish family, in Altoona, Pennsylvania on October 1, 1934.  He was the last survivor.

Don attended Altoona Catholic High School before enrolling at St. Francis College (now St. Francis University) where he graduated with honors in Chemistry. While there, he was a member of the Glee Club and choir, and was the school announcer for the basketball team, "Red Flash". He then attended Lehigh University for advanced graduate work.

In 1957, Don married Mary Ann Wiley in Altoona, Pennsylvania and they eventually moved to Wilmington, Delaware in 1960. There, Don began work for Atlas Powder Company (eventually becoming Imperial Chemical Industries, ICI Americas, later AstraZeneca) for the next 32 years. While there, he was awarded numerous patents for the company. Don was also active in the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, holding many officer positions. He was also a member of the company Toastmasters and Bridge clubs. Upon retirement from ICI, Don operated a consulting business, Emulsions REZ, for several years, serving numerous clients, including, Johnson & Johnson, Gillette, and Eli Lilly.

Don's greatest treasure was his entire family!  While he had a happy, loving childhood, he also was blessed and treasured the family that God allowed Mary Ann and him to create.  He was a devoted husband to Mary Ann and father of twelve, whom he loved to entertain at the dinner table with trivia, jokes, or riddles and discuss plans for the annual family trips. He was known for his creative ability to compose an appropriate poem for each familial event. He shared many of his skills, talents, and knowledge with his children - carpentry, car-care, vegetable gardening, intellectual challenges, storytelling, love of dogs, and yet still made time to coach Little League.

A man of great faith, he was a true role model of living the Roman Catholic Faith. Don served both St. Catherine of Siena and St. Mary of the Assumption parishes with his time and talent. He was both a Parish Council and school board member, a cantor, an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion to the homebound, a Pro-life volunteer, a CCD teacher, and a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus. He reared his family to be strong in the Faith as he was.  He led grace before every meal (even in restaurants), bedtime prayers, family Rosary, 3 Hail Marys at the start of every trip, and educated all children in Catholic schools until college. He had a strong sense of patriotism and instilled the importance of appreciation and respect for our military, first responders, and the US flag.

As a survivor of a childhood bout with polio, Don had limited mobility to participate in sports, but was an avid sports fan/enthusiast. Whether watching a televised sport, listening to games on the radio, or attending an event in person, Don could be found cheering on Penn State, Notre Dame, Duke, the Steelers, the Eagles, and the Phillies and pouring over the sports pages for all the statistics!  He was a strong supporter of his children's and grandchildren's school, athletic, and extra-curricular activities.

Don had a great sense of adventure and he valued the importance of natural beauty in the great USA, which he and Mary Ann wanted their children to experience.  They drove the family as far west as CO, and north to ND, and all of the New England states, and down the East Coast to NC.  In his later years, Don enjoyed traveling around the country with Mary Ann, meeting up with brothers, sisters, and visiting their children's families. When at home at his beloved Folderol Acres, he took great pleasure giving the young grandchildren rides on his tractor and helping them pick ripe tomatoes.

Don is survived by Mary Ann, his wife of 68 years, and his six daughters and five sons: Kathleen (Steve) Brockett of Dallas, TX, Donald Courtney, Jr. of Wilmington, Mark (Kimberly) Courtney of Middletown, Karen (Michael) DeLeon of Phoenix, AZ, Ann Marie Courtney of Newark, Beth (Sean) Brennan of York, PA, Christine (Marty) Doordan of Newark, Terry (John) Dzik of Newark, Jeff (Peggy) Courtney of Ocean City, NJ,  Joe (Laurie) Courtney of Wilmington, and Tim (Tracy) Courtney of Eagleville, PA, and predeceased by "baby Pat". He is also survived by 26 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, 6 Godchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Friday, May 15, 2026, at 11:30am at St. Mary of the Assumption Church, 7200 Lancaster Pike Hockessin, DE 19707.  Visitation will be held in church prior to the Mass, beginning at 9:30am, and Rosary will be prayed at 11:00am.  Interment will be private at St. Patrick Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to any of the following:

Little Sisters of the Poor - 158 Salem Church Road  Newark, DE 19713

Tunnel to Towers - 2361 Hylan Blvd. Staten Island, NY 10306

Bishop Guilfoyle Academy (ATTN: Lt. John J. Wiley scholarship) 2400 Pleasant Valley Blvd.  Altoona, PA 16602