Jamie DePeau, 56, Of Ridgewood, Dies After Battle With Cancer

Editor’s note: The following obituary was first published on the C. C. Van Emburgh Funeral Home’s website.

Jamie DePeau (nee Delzio), wife, mother and corporate chief marketing officer for Lincoln Financial Group, died on Feb. 20 at the Villa Marie Clair hospice in Saddle River. A long-time resident of Ridgewood, she was 56.

She had battled cancer for several years, according to her husband, Donald Delzio, who survives her along with their son, Nicholas, 19, a freshman at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, and a sister, June Young, of Texas.

“Jamie exemplified courage, grace, strength, pride and integrity — all key qualities you want in a leader,” said Lisa Buckingham, Lincoln’s chief human resources officer and head of brand and enterprise communications. “If you worked with Jamie, you knew that she expected the best work from everyone, including herself. She brought courage and intellectual curiosity in striving for the best results. She didn’t play favorites — including the dozens of people she mentored—and as a result, earned the respect and commitment of virtually everyone.

“As much as she loved to work, she was a model for balancing it well with her personal life,” Buckingham added. “She loved being a mother to Nick more than anything. When he pleaded for a dog, Donald and she adopted Max, a beagle rescued from a medical testing facility. Socially conscious and conscientious, she recycled everything she could, and championed causes that would benefit people’s lives. We all hope we can make a difference in this world; there’s no question that Jamie did.”

DePeau was born March 1, 1959, in Buffalo, N.Y., to James and Eleanor James DePeau. Her father died in 1971, her mother in 1997. DePeau married Delzio in Lockport, N.Y., on July 29, 1989.

In the course of her 20-year professional career, she led teams in brand building, marketing, media relations and corporate communications across several industries, including telecom giants NYNEX and MCI, and pharmacy benefit manager Medco.

She joined TIAA-CREF, a Fortune 100 financial services firm, in 2004, where she served as senior vice president of marketing before leaving in 2011 to become chief marketing officer of Lincoln Financial in Radnor, Pa.. In her role there, she provided strategic leadership for marketing, brand, and corporate communications.

B2B magazine named Ms. DePeau to its “Who’s Who is B2B Marketing” list in 2013 counted her among its “Top 25 Marketers.” Under her leadership, Lincoln Financial’s marketing and advertising achieved a variety of awards through the Financial Communications Society, the Business Marketing Association’s New York Chapter, and the Gramercy Institute. She was also the recipient of the YWCA’s Tribute to Women and Industry (TWIN) Award in 2003.

Outside of work, she was very active at the Upper Ridgewood Community Church, where she held senior roles in the parish’s lay leadership. She was a volunteer for the Ridgewood Baseball and Softball Association and for other Ridgewood youth sports groups.

A 1981 bachelor’s degree graduate and active supporter of Canisius College in Buffalo, she was awarded its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2008.

“Our friendship with Jamie was one of life’s greatest gifts — her warmth and wisdom healed and inspired us,” said Robert and Cheryl Balgley of Denver, Colo.. “She saw only the best in her family and friends and loved us without limitation. While we’re heartbroken to have lost her at such an early age, to have spent any time with her was to know a life lived to its very fullest.”

Visiting hours will be held on Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m., at the C. C. Van Emburgh Funeral Home, 306 East Ridgewood Ave. in Ridgewood.

A service will be conducted on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2 p.m., at the Upper Ridgewood Community Church, 35 Fairmount Road, in Ridgewood.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Eleanor DePeau Memorial Scholarship, c/o Starpoint Central School District, 4363 Mapleton Road, Lockport, N.Y. 14094. DePeau had created the scholarship in 1999 in her mother’s honor and in recognition of her years of service in the district. The scholarship is awarded annually based on a student’s activities both in school and the community and financial need.