Obituaries

Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory LTD. Obituaries

Local obituaries for the Rockford, IL area

Steven M. Erb

Steven M. Erb

Dec 22, 2024

Steven "Steve" M. Erb, PawPaw, 75, of Loves Park, passed away on December 22, 2024, at UW Madison Hospital. He was born on March 3, 1949, in Rockford, Illinois, the son of Guy W. and Marie A. (Krischke) Erb. He graduated from Auburn High School, class of 1967. He proudly served in the U.S Marine Corps from 1967-1969. Steve was...

Unso Midgley

Unso Midgley

Dec 20, 2024

Unso Midgley passed away peacefully at home in Rockford, Illinois on December 20, 2024, at the age of 90. Born on January 25, 1934, in the city of Bupyeong, South Korea, daughter to Young Ho and Soon Sil (Kim) Park. There she met her husband, Robert Midgley, and they journeyed to the United States in 1972, three daughters in tow...

Margaret "Peg" C. Goral

Margaret "Peg" C. Goral

Dec 19, 2024

Margaret “Peg” Lonergan Goral, age 90 passed away on Thursday, December 19, 2024. Margaret was born January 16, 1934, in Rockford, the daughter of James and Anne Lonergan.

Margaret was a 1951 graduate of West High School, and married Gerald “Jerry” Goral in 1955 and “Jerry & Peg” started their new family, and their love story would last 67 years.

Margaret was...

Bruce Roy Ketcher

Bruce Roy Ketcher

Dec 19, 2024

Bruce Roy Ketcher passed away on Thursday, December 19, 2024, at River Bluff Nursing Home in Rockford, IL, at the age of 77 years. 

Bruce was born on June 30, 1947, to Roy and Verna (Schwalbe) Ketcher in Watertown, MN. He was baptized on July 27, 1947, at St. Peter’s Ev. Lutheran, Watertown, MN, and confirmed on April 30, 1961, at...

Eileen F. Grigalauski

Eileen F. Grigalauski

Dec 18, 2024

Eileen F. Grigalauski passed away on December 18, 2024. She had an unsatiable appetite for life, family, friends, animals, games, flowers and chocolates (sweets, in general). All grand puppies were family, but she shared a very special bond with her grand puppy Patch who took good care of her during the pandemic.

She was born in Chicago on September 30, 1926,...

Steve Kretsinger

Steve Kretsinger

Dec 17, 2024

Stephen “Steve” Kretsinger, 79, of Loves Park, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. Steve was born in Rockford, IL on July 28th of 1945 to Donald and Elizabeth (Fulton) Kretsinger. He married the love of his life, Kathy, on October 23, 1965, at Holy Family Catholic Church here in Rockford. Steve was a proud union member...

Joyce Kniess

Joyce Kniess

Dec 17, 2024

Joyce Kniess, 74, passed away peacefully on December 17, 2024 in Dubuque, Iowa, following a two-year battle with cancer.

Joyce was born on August 9, 1950 in Rockford, IL, daughter of Algot ‘Baker’ and Lila (Hokanson) Skogsberg, and granddaughter of Mauritz and Valborg Hokanson, all members of the International Order of Good Templars (IOGT), Rockford Chapter #40, Vega Lodge.

Joyce graduated from...

Thomas H. Bederka

Thomas H. Bederka

Dec 17, 2024

Thomas H. Bederka, 67, passed away unexpectedly on December 17, 2024. He and his twin brother Robert were born on September 15, 1957, in Dearborn, Michigan, sons to Paul and Alice (Tavzelj) Bederka. At a young age they moved to Rockford, and he graduated from Jefferson High School in 1975. Tom started working for Sandray Precision Grinding Inc., when he...

Gordon W. Hoffman

Gordon W. Hoffman

Dec 17, 2024

Gordon "Gordy" W. Hoffman, 89, of Cherry Valley, passed away on December 17, 2024. He was born on June 9, 1935, in Rockford, the son of Homer and Lucille (Mechling) Hoffman. He graduated from West High School and attended Rockford Business College where he met the love of his life, Jan, and later attended some classes at Rock Valley College....

Gordon Allen Smith

Gordon Allen Smith

Dec 16, 2024

 Gordon Allen Smith, age 93, passed away on Monday, December 16, 2024. 

Gordon was born in Chicago, IL on September 28, 1931, the son of Henry and Helen (Goranson) Smith. He graduated from Lane Tech High School and immediately enlisted and proudly served in the U.S. Navy. Gordon married Margaret E. (Grady) Smith on October 30, 1954, in Franklin Park, IL....

Kay Marie Loftus

Kay Marie Loftus

Dec 15, 2024

Kay Marie Loftus, age 77, passed away on Sunday, December 15, 2024, in Rockford, Illinois. She was born in Davenport, Iowa to William D. Smyser and Mary E. Jones on January 27, 1947, and was the oldest of six children. She graduated from Assumption High School in Davenport in 1965. 

She worked as a legal secretary at the Rock Island Arsenal...

Sandra Kathleen Norgart

Sandra Kathleen Norgart

Dec 14, 2024

Sandra "Sandy" Kathleen Norgart, 81, of Rockford, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, December 14, 2024. 

Sandy was born on February 22, 1943, daughter of Donald and Darleen (Sowl) Simonds. She graduated from Beloit High School, Class of 1961. Sandy then went on to complete the dental hygienist program in Milwaukee, WI. She married James Lee Norgart on February 4,...

Lucille R. Westbrook

Lucille R. Westbrook

Dec 14, 2024

Lucille R. (Blair) Westbrook, 90 of Rockford, Illinois passed away Saturday December 14, 2024 after a long illness in the care of family and hospice. Born January 12, 1934. The daughter of Donald and Clara (Cook) Blair. Graduated from Monroe Center High School and SwedishAmerican School of Nursing. Married George L. Westbrook on January 15, 1955. She was a pediatric...

Jeffrey Dreisbach

Jeffrey Dreisbach

Dec 11, 2024

Jeffrey A Dreisbach, 60, of Montgomery, passed away in Rockford on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. Born on June 8th of 1964 to Raymond and Donna (Kubica) Dreisbach in Chicago, Illinois, Jeffrey was a truck driver for many years. He was well known by friends and family for his great sense of humor, his strong work ethic, and his unending dedication...

Mary Ann Hirsch

Mary Ann Hirsch

Dec 11, 2024

Mary Ann Hirsch, 88, Rockford, passed away on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. She was born on October 11, 1936, in Wapella, IL to Lawrence and Mary (O’Rourke) Toohill. She graduated from Wapella High School in 1954 then St. Joseph School of Nursing in 1957, where she received her degree in nursing. She married Frank J. Hirsch on November 15, 1958,...

Michael Battista

Michael Battista

Dec 11, 2024

Michael Battista, 95, of Rockford, passed away on December 11, 2024, at home surrounded by his family. He was born on July 15, 1929, in Triggiano, Italy, to Joseph and Maria (Pompilio) Battista. A U.S. Navy veteran, he served aboard the U.S.S. Melvin during the Korean War. On August 22, 1955, he married Pasqua Grisanzio in Italy, and together they...

Linda Gail Miller

Linda Gail Miller

Dec 9, 2024

Linda Gail Miller, 68, of Rockford, passed away at home on Monday, December 9, 2024.

Linda was born July 22, 1956, in Louisville, Kentucky, daughter of Leslie and Zadie (Oliver) Shively. She graduated from Graham High School and later worked in the healthcare industry for many years. Linda married Steve Joe Miller on October 11, 1987, at Jefferson Heights Baptist Church....

Vanessa A. Meyers

Vanessa A. Meyers

Dec 8, 2024

Vanessa A. Meyers, 70, of Rockford, passed away on Sunday, December 8, 2024. Born in Rockford, Illinois, to Alex and Violet (Lundgren) Smith on March 2, 1954. She married Wayne L. Meyers on May 13, 2005. Vanessa worked as a paraprofessional at East High School up until her retirement in 2018. She enjoyed crocheting and road tripping with Wayne, visiting...

Karin Ann Kullberg

Karin Ann Kullberg

Dec 8, 2024

Karin Ann (Eklund) Kullberg, 86, born August 9th, 1938, in Rockford, IL to Henry and Kerstin Eklund passed away peacefully on December 8th, 2024, in hospice care at The Radcliff in Wood Dale, Illinois.

Karin was a 1956 graduate of East High School, attended Augustana College, received her bachelor’s degree from Rockford College and then later went on to get her...

Janet S. Keating

Janet S. Keating

Dec 8, 2024

Janet Sarah (Pittenger) Keating, 77, born December 10, 1946, in Rockford, IL to Anita (Kissel) Pittenger and Kenneth Davis Pittenger. She died December 8, 2024, in hospice care at OSF St. Anthony’s.

She attended Rockford Public Schools: Montague, Lincoln MS, graduating from Rockford East High School in 1964. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University in 1968 in sociology.

She...

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