Jillian Boalth Delano

Jillian was born Sept. 20, 1933, in Quetta, India (now Pakistan), to Leslie William and Marie Kathleen Boalth, third-generation keepers of the British Raj, governing India. Jillian and her mother were survivors of the Great Quetta earthquake of 1935 while Jillian's father was away on external engineering work. Upon partition of India in 1947, the family moved to Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia, where Jillian matured and lent her lovely voice to church choirs and many weddings.

Jillian graduated from Avondale College in 1952. During a brief marriage to Colin Ruge, they lived in New Zealand. During an extended vacation in Europe with friends, she met and married U.S. Air Force Capt. Marshal Delano in 1964, in London. After reassignment to Michigan, Jillian gave birth to an only child, Lisa. The family moved to Sarasota, Florida, in 1966.

After several summer vacations camping and photographing in Yellowstone National Park, the family moved to Missoula County in 1992. After a divorce in 2003, Jillian lived in Missoula and for many years was a longtime volunteer at the Missoula Food Bank, St. Patrick Hospital and occasionally at AniMeals. Jillian loved large-format photographs of animals and scenery and oil paintings and sculptures of animals that filled her apartment. During the year, Jillian collected stuffed animals that she donated to the Food Bank, for children at Christmastime. For several years, Jillian suffered bipolar symptoms and more recently dementia.

Jillian died July 19, 2014, in hospice at a local senior residence. She is survived by her brother, Geoffrey Boalth and his wife, Robin, of Melbourne, Australia; nieces, Kylie of Seattle and Nicole of Melbourne; daughter, Lisa Delano of Missoula; and a blind orange tabby, unnamed. Jillian was an elegant lady, petite, trim, curvy and a sharp dresser. She will be greatly missed by a few deep friends and many admirers.
Read Jillian Delano's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.