Wesley "Gene" E. Rowell Sr.

Wesley “Gene” E. Rowell Sr., passed away with his wife by his side on February 9, 2021. Born March 14, 1948 in Haleyville, Alabama son to Leonard and Myrtle (Garrison) Rowell. Gene was in the army during the Vietnam War, and being the fearless man that he was, volunteered numerous times to be the grunt in battle. He was so proud of himself and of all of the brothers that he had served with. He was awarded a purple heart in the field. Being dedicated, he was also a life member of Vietnam Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the QuarterMaster for the Ross-Pearson Post VFW 5149, and a member of the Lyran Society. He was also extremely giving, loving and kind. He spent a lot of time volunteering helping take care of Lyran Park and gardening; he loved watching things grow. Gene started at Jones and Lamson in Detroit, Michigan, then went to Waterbury Farrel Connecticut before finally being self-employed for many years working as a CNC calibration and Inspection expert. Through bartending here and there for many bars in the local Rockford area and the Campers he and Sandy had off Lake Koshkonong in Wisconsin, he met and loved lots of good people. He was best described as a stern, selfless man with a heart of gold.
He will be missed by those who loved him most, his wife Sandra Wilson; his children Wesley Rowell Jr, Tammi (Bill) Hall, Joe (Carmina) Wilson, and Rachel (Ryan) Bondick; grandchildren Tyler (Melissa) Ruff, Jennifer Nicole (Chelsea) Hall, Billy (Nichole) Hall, Ares Ruff, Poseidon Ruff, Khaleesi Ruff, Willy Hall, Daxx Hall, Julian and Olivia Wilson, Eden and Rory Bondick; Sister in law Linda Rowell, numerous nieces, nephews and loved friends. A special thank you to Bobbie Richardson, Gene loved you like his own sister, and to Northern Illinois Hospice for their care and support they provided. Also missing Gene will be his fur babies, Holly and Baylee. He was predeceased by his parents; brothers Sam and Walt Rowell; sisters Martha Rowell (Skaar) Roll and Betty (Carroll) Steele; fur baby Shadow.
A walk through visitation will take place for Gene on Friday, February 19, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. until the time of service at 2:00 p.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, 1860 S. Mulford Road, Rockford, Illinois 61108. Masks and social distancing will be required. If unable to attend the service in person, it’ll be on Zoom.us with Meeting ID: 896 8461 4424 with Passcode: 123. Burial will be Monday, February 22, 2021 at 12:30 at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family to establish at a later date. To send online condolences, please visit www.fitzgeraldfh.com