Pascal has references and pointers too so why would they not be able to do it in a very similar way?
'Modern' 'pascals' were different.
So not identical but still simpler than the tasteless version.
I thought that this was such a fundamental idea that it should be on Rosetta Code but the page for it at http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Singly-linked_list/Element_remov... is empty.
Perhaps we should all rush over there and fill it in. :-)
Edit: See entry on RC at http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Singly-linked_list/Element_remov...