“I’m very grateful, as are my brother and sister, as we were able to be there for her at the end of her life just as she was with us at the beginning of ours,” said Mike Dellapina, Ardath’s son.
Mike said his mom “put a great stock” in character, manners and being professional, but was also witty and a lot of fun to be around.
“She was one of the smartest and funniest ladies you would ever meet. Above all else, she was completely selfless and always put the needs of others above her own, both within her family and the community. She was often described as a ‘treasure’ to those who knew her well,” the obituary stated.
As for his favorite memory, Mike said there are so many it’s impossible to pick one. However, over the last several days, the family has been looking at photos and snapshots of their life, in which Mike said, “It’s funny to think that it brings back all these memories, brings back a snapshot in time.”
Dellapina graduated from Springfield High School in 1957 and earned her Bachelor’s of Science in education and comprehensive social studies from The Ohio State University in 1963, her obituary stated.
She taught in the Springfield City School District for over 25 years, retiring in 2000 from North High School, and became the Director of Education and Programs at the Clark County Heritage Center in 2001.
Mike said being a teacher is who his mom was “at her core.”
“Being an educator was something she was very passionate about, very skilled at, and something she really put a lot of stock in,” he said.
The Clark County Historical Society posted about the loss on its Facebook page, saying they are saddened by Dellapina’s passing.
“From the museum’s opening in 2001 until her retirement in 2020, she shaped the way countless children and adults engaged with local history,” the post stated. “Her legacy will live on in the programs she created, the partnerships she fostered, and the lives she touched.”
Dellapina is survived by her children Michael, Timothy and Krista; sister, Kathy Whittington; grandchildren, Jacob, John, Richard, Peter, Dominic, Christian, Giuliana, Helen, Henry, Taylor, Madison and Sydney; and nieces and nephews, Jennifer, Lee, Greg, Carrie, Jenny and Amy, according to her obituary.
She was the wife of 51 years to the late Richard Dellapina, mother to the late Daniel Dellapina, and sister to the late Thomas and Beverly Sharp.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Littleton & Rue Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Raphael Church, 225 E. High St., with a burial to follow at Ferncliff Cemetery.
Instead of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to the Dellapina Scholarship Fund at the Springfield Foundation, 333 N. Limestone St., Suite 201, Springfield, OH 45503.
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