Audrey L. Egler

Audrey Lee (Peters) Egler, 88, of Rockford, passed away on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. Audrey was born in Chicago, IL on February 26, 1937, the daughter of John and Theresa (Gaydos) Peters and grew up in Calumet City, Illinois. She graduated from Thornton Fractional High School and went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Education at Northern Illinois University in 1959, where she was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority and made life long friends. Audrey taught second grade at Walker School in Rockford for a short time before starting her family. She was married to Jack Egler for 43 years. They divorced and remained friends until his passing on January 12, 2022. For the last 18 years, Audrey and John Owens have been dear friends, spending time together involved in volunteer activities and for daily companionship.

Audrey had a special love for music. It began with piano lessons as a child. She later played the clarinet for the high school marching band and played both instruments during college as a member of a quartet. Audrey frequently played piano and sang for the entertainment of her children and their friends. She was especially fond of ragtime. She was a member of the Sweet Adelines Rock Valley Chorus from 1980-84, having great fun traveling to competitions with the group.

She was adept at growing things and had thriving houseplants and a large vegetable garden. Every fall you could look forward to homemade pickles. She was a wonderful cook, and loved baking. In 1981 she was the First Place winner in the Rockford Register Star's Cook-Off Contest - Bread Category - for her Sour Cream Twists. This naturally led to working for Eagle Foods as a bakery manager, a job she thoroughly embraced and enjoyed.

Sewing was another talent of Audrey's. She made many of her own clothes and was especially skilled at creating Halloween costumes from a picture or stuffed animal without a pattern. She enjoyed painting with watercolors. Audrey was very active, joining bowling leagues and volleyball teams. She could downhill and water ski. She loved fishing with an old cane pole from the dock at the family cottage on Lake Waubesa. She never missed an episode of "A Prairie Home Companion". Not especially an "animal lover", over the years she allowed dogs, parakeets, a guinea pig, white mice, tarantulas, snakes, turtles, a parrot, several cats and a squirrel to live under her roof.

She was a long time member of St. Bernadette Parish. Throughout the years she served as playground mother, Cub Scout leader, choir member, and Eucharistic Minister to the homebound. She was faithful to daily mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and cleaning the sanctuary. Her life was marked by devotion to the rosary and Blessed Mother. On January 28, 2018 she was named St Bernadette Church's Woman of the Year.

Audrey's kind, generous and fun loving nature was the first and lasting impression she gave to everyone. She loved family and friends gathering in her home, and especially enjoyed having everyone together laughing and joking. Many of her children's peers regarded her as a second Mom.

Above all, she fiercely loved her children and grandchildren. She will be dearly missed. Surviving relatives include her son, Scott (Lauren) Egler of Elgin; daughters, Amy (Bob) Genis of Rockford and Dawn (Bob) Sandberg of Superior, MT; grandchildren, Michael, Adam and Ashley Egler, Blake and Julian Genis; brother, John Peters; nieces, Kirstin (Jim) Dunlop and Allison (Colm) Quinn; nephew, Jeremy; as well as great nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her parents; grandson Matthew Egler; sister-in-law Maryrita Peters.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Audrey’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, St. Bernadette Catholic Church, or the Rockford Rescue Mission. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff, nurses and CNA‘s of Wesley Willows for their exceptional care during their time with Audrey, where she lived for the past five years.

Visitation will be held Friday, August 29, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. until the time of a Rosary at 10:30 a.m., followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 2400 Bell Ave., Rockford, IL 61103. Final resting place will be in Calvary Catholic Cemetery at a later date.