Marian L. (Morrison) Doyle

Marian L. (Morrison) Doyle, 93, of Rockford, died Saturday afternoon, February 27, 2016.
She was born on August 11, 1922, the only child of Clare F. Morrison and Sylvia A. (Hilton) Morrison. Marian was born and raised on a farm in Burritt Township and attended the original, stone, one-room Burritt grade school by riding her pony across the fields. She graduated from Rockford Central High School and worked in interior decorating. She received a bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois Teachers College in DeKalb and taught PE at Harlem High School for several years.

Marian married Richard J. Doyle on August 11, 1943. He preceded her in death on March 18, 1995. They farmed in Burritt and Harrison townships all their lives. She devoted most of her adult life to raising three daughters teaching them an appreciation for nature, music, and dance. She enjoyed traveling, particularly for bird-watching and encouraged her daughters to do the same. She traveled from Attu Island in Alaska to Trinidad and Tobago and especially enjoyed birding in Florida during the winter and in the Midwest during spring migrations.

Marian valued education, worked industriously, believed in doing her best, and enjoyed reading and photography. She taught her children how to swim, ride horses, cook, and prepared many family picnics/cookouts along rivers and lakes. She baked great cookies and cakes and was an excellent seamstress sewing many items for her family. Having been raised during the Depression, she was very frugal and deplored wastefulness. She was a member of the Rock River Valley Gem and Mineral Society and lifetime member of the North Central Illinois Ornithological Society.

Predeceased by her parents, husband, Richard Doyle, and son-in-law, Richard A. Strickland.
Survived by her daughters, Polly Doyle, Sylvia Doyle (Ed Pagel), and Kristine Nielsen (Tim); and her grandchildren, Joseph T. and Claire F. Nielsen.

Special thanks to Barb Davis, Marian’s home caregiver of many years, for her kindness and dedication. Memorials to The Natural Land Institute.

Services will be private. Arrangements by Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, 3910 N. Rockton Ave., Rockford, IL 61103