Anastacia Tey de Batista, known by her middle name “Delbys” or simply “Mamá,” passed away in her home in Derry, New Hampshire at the age of 96. She was surrounded by her sons, Diego and Anthony Batista, and her daughter-in-law of 43 years, Elisanta (Castro) Batista.
Nothing mattered more to Delbys than family and caring for children. She was born in Baracoa, Cuba on April 15, 1923, and was number five of eight children. She had a hand in caring for many nieces and nephews and their children in Cuba. In 1965, she left her beloved homeland with her son, Diego, to New York City to be reunited with her late husband, Diego Gaspar Batista Martinez. They were married for almost 60 years at the time of his death of cancer in 2005.
Once in the United States, she raised two sons in Willingboro, New Jersey and Downingtown, Pennsylvania. She cared for numerous children in her home, and would eventually help raise four grandchildren, who lived with her and/or spent their entire summer vacations with her. She is fondly remembered as a doting grandmother who cheered the loudest at school events, consoled kids with her amazing Cuban food, and made sure to pass on her stories, language and culture from Cuba.
In addition to her sons and daughter-in-law in Derry, New Hampshire, she is survived by three siblings — and their families in Cuba and the U.S. — Nidia Tey de Pineda of Union City, New Jersey; Jose Tey of Painesville, Ohio; and Ada Tey of Manchester, New Hampshire. She leaves behind seven grandchildren, Elisa Batista, Nidia Batista, Diego Batista, Nelsy Batista, Anthony Batista, Grace Batista, and Alexander Batista. She is also survived by three great grandchildren, Aristotle Moulitsas-Batista, Elisandra Moulitsas-Batista, and Sailis Batista.
Calling hours were held on Friday, November 22nd from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on Saturday, November 23rd, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 15 Birch St., Derry. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at St. Mark the Evangelist Parish, 1 South Road, Londonderry.