Eleanor Mae (Ywanauskas) Saulsbury passed away suddenly on October 7, 2026. Born May 9, 1940, in Rockford, Illinois, she was one of five children born to Nellie (Brazis) and Charles Ywanauskas. On February 13, 1960, she married James “Jim” D. Saulsbury in Rockford, Illinois.

Eleanor was vibrant and quick-witted, with an extraordinary eye for beauty. She loved decorating her home and yard for every season, cheering on her favorite sports teams, and, most of all, supporting and loving her family. She took great joy in decorating the fireplace mantel with seasonal lights and garland and creating a magical snow village underneath the Christmas tree. An accomplished pianist and accordionist, she traveled regionally with the Voight Music Center youth band in her early teens. Eleanor and her husband, Jim, traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada, with a particular fondness for the country’s national parks. Among their most memorable adventures was whitewater rafting and camping along the Colorado River through the magnificent Grand Canyon, surrounded by towering canyon walls and the river's exhilarating rush. They also looked forward to their annual trek to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where they enjoyed basking in the Florida sunshine.

She will be enormously missed by her daughters, Deborah Best, Pamela (Michael) Lunde, and Susan (Keith) Maragi; her grandchildren, Tessa, Shelby (Michael) Leick, Spencer, Katelyn, Cade (Kirsten), Stephen (fiancé, Jessica Rij), and David; her great-grandchildren, Bennett Best, Arlo Leick, and Avery Leick; sister Mary Ywanauskas and brother Charles Ywanauskas; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Jim; her parents; her brother, John, and sister-in-law, Pat; and her sister, Fran Reinold, and brother-in-law, Kurt Reinold.

A private family service will take place on Saturday, October 17, at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, 3910 N. Rockton Road, Rockford, Illinois 61103. Private burial will take place at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Winnebago, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family. To send online condolences, please visit www.fitzgeraldfh.com.