Cathleen Ann Branciaroli

Cathleen Ann Branciaroli, age 71, of Chesapeake City, Maryland and formerly of Wilmington, Delaware, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at her home.

Cathleen was born in 1954 and grew up in Mentor, Ohio, the oldest child of the late Joseph P. and Virginia Branciaroli. When the family moved to Wilmington, DE in 1972, she graduated from Brandywine High School, and later the University of Delaware where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and an MBA. Cathy spent her career with the DuPont Company, earning the title of Global Communications Director, and was privileged to be invited to become the Chief Communications Officer in its joint venture with DOW Chemical Company, which she helped found. Other assignments included working with a number of DuPont’s Polymers businesses. She earned DuPont’s top marketing honor, its Marketing Excellence Award, which was presented by then company CEO Ed Woolard, among other industry honors. In her DuPont role, Cathy enjoyed learning about other places and cultures, travelling extensively in the US and worldwide, meeting customers, colleagues and making friends across this extended network.

After her retirement, she turned her love of cooking and culinary interests into a second career as a food writer where she earned many accolades and had articles published in national food magazines. This creative writing introduced her to an entire new world of experiences and food friends around the US and the world which she greatly relished. She was widely known as an inspiring cook through her website Delaware Girl Eats.

She was predeceased by her husband of more than 30 years, Michael Tidwell, and her parents. Surviving are her siblings Diane Franck (Terry) and David (Nancy), beloved nephew Taylor Bullock, wife Margarette and son Weston, her Tidwell step-family including Michael’s siblings Michele and Tim, son Eric, and grandchildren Ashley, Aaron, Brianna and Tia and their families. She cherished her extended family.

Always a sports enthusiast, Cathy was an avid tennis player and skier. As such she was active and an officer in several Delaware sports associations. She greatly enjoyed the Delaware beach and her beach-house friends. Proud of her Italian heritage, she also was active in a number of Italian-American associations. Her strong interest in family history spurred her to track family genealogy, which she shared widely. She was considered the family historian by many relatives. She loved the home she and her husband owned on Maryland’s Eastern Shore near Chesapeake City and the community of Hollywood Beach neighbors there. She lived there full time after Michael’s death. She especially loved watching the evening sunsets with fellow neighbors. She enjoyed a special friendship with neighbors Hank Michalkiewicz and Angela Maxwell.

The family would like to thank and acknowledge the Amedisys Hospice Team for the exceptional care they provided Cathy during her final days.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Monday, October 26, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, 7 Sharpley Road, Wilmington, De 19803. A visitation will be held prior at the church from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow the mass at St. Joseph’s on The Brandywine Cemetery, Wilmington, DE.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her name to either St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or to a local Humane Society.