Leatrice Joy Gleason

Leatrice Joy Gleason, 90, of Rockford, IL. (formerly of Chicago), passed away peacefully Thursday, April 30, 2015, at Morningstar Village where she lived and enjoyed her final years. Joy was born March 19, 1925, the daughter of Jack and Ethylene Gleason. Joy worked as a civilian in the US Army and was stationed in Germany from 1946-1949. Joy graduated from DePaul University with a degree in Library Science and worked as a Librarian for the Chicago Public Library system for many years. She loved to sing and act. She was a music teacher, played the piano, and was involved in summer stock. Over the years, she sang in various church choirs and loved classical music. She grew up on a farm in Michigan and always had a dog or cat in her life. Traveling was one of her passions and took her all over the world. One of her fondest trips was a trip to the Galapagos Islands. She was true to her values both spiritually and politically and maintained a very positive attitude even in her illness. She will be missed by many. She is preceded in death by her parents, sister, Patricia Gleason, and cousins including Helen Seger and Marion Gleason. She was granted by the Lord, a long and healthy life.

Funeral Mass will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 8, 2015 at Holy Family Catholic Church. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. at the church on Friday. Burial in Calvary Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to autismspeaks.org. Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory assisted the family. To express online condolences, please visit: www.fitzgeraldfh.com.