Delilah R. "Dee" VanHouten, age 70, of Laceyville, PA, passed away on Friday, March 19, 2021 at the CMC in Scranton PA after a long, hard-fought battle against liver cirrhosis.

She was born in Scranton, PA on July 11, 1950.  She was the daughter of the late Willard C. Silfee and Dorothy L. Wesley Silfee.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard VanHouten who passed away on December 20, 1987.

Delilah received her GED after attending high school at Elk Lake and Wyalusing.  She began her career as a laborer working for the Laceyville Discount Store for 12 years before moving on to Kelly Services at Proctor & Gamble in Mehoopany.  Delilah then worked with her daughter, Rachel, for the Black Walnut and Meshoppen Dress Factories.  She finished her career with Kane Warehousing where she served as a Supervisor in the Tunkhannock warehouse and worked in sanitation in Meshoppen before retiring in 2010.

When not working, Delilah loved driving around and stopping at yard sales on the weekends and spending time with her beloved family.  She always took the time to help others and often worked as a nurse's aide to serve those in need.

She is survived by her children, Richard VanHouten of Laceyville, PA and Rachel Burnside (Michael) of Laceyville, PA; her significant other of 26 years, Bob Walter of Laceyville, PA; her step-children, Shelly Walter of Elmira, NY, John Vanhouten of Tunkhannock, PA, Michelle Winters of Tunkhannock, PA, Peter VanHouten of Mehoopany, PA, Carol Pagan of New Jersey and Sandy Owen; her siblings, Judy Strol (Wes) of Centermoreland, PA, Gary Silfee of Tunkhannock, PA, Cathy Cox (Earl) of North Carolina, Robert Silfee of Mildred, PA, and Betty Sickler of Beaumont, PA; her "surrogate grand-kids", Tara Sands of Laceyville, PA, Gina Owen of Mehoopany, PA, and Brittany Owen of Tunkhannock, PA; and her "special nieces", Amber and Annette Silfee.  Delilah is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Besides her husband and parents, Delilah is preceded in death by her siblings, Richard Silfee (d. 2007), Wanda D'Adamo (d. 2013), George Silfee (d. 2015), and Lynette Silfee (d. 1960).

A funeral service for Delilah will be held at the Sheldon Funeral Home, 459 Main St. Laceyville, PA on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 11:00 AM with Reverend Ron Folk of the Skinners Eddy United Methodist Church officiating.  Family and friends may call at the funeral home on Wednesday, March 24, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.  Interment will take place at the Lacey Street Cemetery.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, masks will be required to be worn while inside of the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make donations may do so to the charity of the donor's choice.

Online condolences may be left a www.sheldonfuneralhomes.com .