Jenny Mchone

Jenny Delane McHone passed away suddenly on March 19, 2021 at the age of 89.  She was preceded in death by her husband of over 50 years, Roy McHone, as well as her twin sister Delee Carter, and sister Anna “Snookie” White.

A trailblazer from her early days, Delane and her identical twin Delee were born two years into the Dust Bowl in Vici, Oklahoma.  Delane and Delee were crowned Little Miss Vici soon after gaining fame in the region as the twin soda jerks at their dad’s cafe in Canadian, Texas.  Delane married a heart throb who showed up in the cafe by surprise one day--throwing ice but melting his heart.

Roy and Delane raised a family of two boys, Marshall and Mike, and a daughter Martha, in the Texas Panhandle.  Working as a stenographer in the local attorney’s office in Pampa, Delane was also deputized, which gave her the right to carry a gun as she made the rounds in Gray County posting legal notices from her office.

Delane’s persistence, competence, and hard work (not to mention her striking blonde hair and blue eyes) soon drew the attention of her office neighbor in Pampa, Congressman Walter Rogers, and it was not long before she was recruited to run his Texas District office.  In between helping Rogers win re-election, she also learned to fly, earning her wings from a World War II vet, passing every test, including the instruments-only landing.

It was not long before her own career took off.  Leaving behind her pearl-handled .22, Delane moved to Washington, D.C. with her family to work in Congressman Roger’s office.  What started as a vacation ended in a career in Congress.  After working for Congressman Rogers, Delane worked for Congressman Bob Casey, Congressman Robert Sikes, and spent the last years of her career as Congressman Martin Frost’s head secretary.

Building on her legislative skills from Washington, Delane took politics to the next level, serving as the President of the Aquia Harbor Homeowners' Association in Virginia for more than a decade.  When not representing her neighbors, Delane enjoyed weekends on Aquia Creek and the Chesapeake Bay, where she showed off her slalom skiing skills behind a boat with her own name--the Jenny D--impressing everyone on the river, except perhaps the surly naval officer who once stopped her from skiing into an ongoing naval training operation.

With Roy homesick for warm weather, Delane and Roy retired to Rockport in 1996, coming home to Texas to be closer to family and drawn to the coast by her son who had bought a weekend home in Rockport in 1984.  In Rockport, Delane took up office again, recruiting her former neighborhood association colleague from Virginia to join her in running Harbor Oaks.  She eventually reunited with her twin sister Delee, who bought a home just across the canal from her on Canoe Lake; the twins would commute between their houses for their weekly MahJong game by paddle boat.  A lifelong swimmer and Red Cross instructor, Delane helped see to it that Rockport had its own pool and was one of the original sponsors of the Rockport Community Aquatic Park.

Delane is survived by her three children, six grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, her brother Neil, and one ornery yorkie. Her family would like to thank her dedicated caregivers, in particular Sarah Pulido, for the patience and love they showed Delane in the last years of her life.  Her family and friends will gather on Saturday, March 27 for a graveside ceremony at 2:00 PM at Rockport Cemetery organized by Charlie Marshall Funeral Home.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Delane’s favorite charities, Meals on Wheels, or help support the Rockport Community Aquatic Park.