Mary B. Sagona

Mary B. Sagona, 88, Rockford, died at 4:48 p.m. Monday June 15, 2009 in her residence at Alpine Fireside Health Center, 3650 North Alpine Road. Born February 17, 1921 to Robert and Olive Safford Lawrence of Rockford. A Rockford resident all her life, she attended Rockford schools and was in the last graduating class of Central High School in 1940. In her desire to do something for others, she chose to become a nurse and graduated from the Rockford Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in 1943. She went on to become a nurse anesthesist, graduating from St. John""s Hospital School of Anethesiology in Springfield in 1945. She worked as a nurse anesthesist at McNeal Hospital in Berwyn until 1950. Later, she worked on Four West at Saint Anthony Medical Center in the 1970s. She married Frank M. Sagona in Bloomington, IL on June 5, 1950. Survivors include her four daughter, Mary Lea (David) Blum of Cherry Valley; Margaret ""Peggy"" (Tom) Werner of Rockford and Michelle (Bill) Miller and Frances Sagona, both of Fort Collins, CO; grandchildren, Patricia A. Howe of Rockford, Joshua (Michele) Miller of Union City, California and Rebecca (Kris) Henderson of Fort Collins, CO; great grandchildren Madison Scarlotti of Boulder, CO and William Miller of Union City, California; Orion, Ashton and Skye Henderson of Fort Collins, CO; sister Ruth Ann Ives of Placitas, New Mexico and brother, John Lawrence of Bloomington, IL. Predeceased by her sister, Roberta Gotto of Arvada, CO in 2006; her husband Frank in 1997; her mother in 1990 and her father in 1949. She was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church. Special thanks to the exceptionally caring and supportive ""family"" at Alpine Fireside; to all her ""forever friends"" at Crimson Point Assisted Living where she happily lived for three years; to the staff of Northern Illinois Hospice & Grief Center, especially nurses Kim Simmert and Carol Moseley and the Rev. Brenda Byrne; to those who cared for Mary when hospitalized at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center; and to all the unnamed professional and personal friends who touched her life in a loving and positive way. Special thanks, also, to lifelong friend Bernard Gill of Hillsboro, SD. Although their lives took different paths at times, they walked together from start to finish. Another lifelong bond took place in Mary""s life and nursing career when she was present at the birth of her niece, Pamela Ann Ives at Rockford Memorial Hospital. On the same day at about the same time--64 years later--Mary was born into eternity. A Memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 19, 2009 in Holy Family Catholic Church, 4401 Highcrest Road in Rockford with Rev. Andrew Hougan officiating. Visitation from 9:30 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. at the church. Private family burial will take place in Calvary Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be given to Alpine Fireside, Crimson Pointe, Holy Family Catholic Church and/or Northern Illinois Hospice & Grief Center. Arrangements were completed by Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, Mulford Chapel, 1860 S. Mulford Rd. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.fitzgeraldfh.com.