Mary Lynn Melody, 89, of Rockford, passed away at home on June 5, 2026. Mary was born November 22, 1936, and was raised in Eureka, IL. She then graduated from Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal. She started teaching P.E. in Chenoa, IL where she met her husband, Bill (Raymond) Melody. They were married in December 1961 and soon moved to Rockford. They had two children, Rose and Jim, and Mary stayed home with them for several years before returning to teaching.

Mary taught at a number of Rockford schools but spent several years at Beyer Elementary, which she loved. She made many good friends at Beyer and enjoyed working with the children that spent their first years of school there.

Mary enjoyed golf, book club and bridge-her bridge group played together for over 50 years and were some of her dearest friends. She loved baseball, especially the St. Louis Cardinals, and she usually made it to at least one major league ballgame each year in either Chicago or Milwaukee.

Mary's family meant everything to her and she always did anything she could do to help them out. She was very proud of her family, especially her granddaughter, Desi, as well as her niece and nephews and their children, who she considered her own.

Mary was predeceased by her parents, Ralph and Leone Brown; her brothers Mike Brown and Jim Brown; and her husband, Bill Melody. She is survived by her daughter Rose Melody; granddaughter, Desi Melody; niece Michelle Altenhofen (Scott, nephew Brian Brown (Mindy) and their children Scott (Julia), Abby and Emma; nephew Bruce Brown (Tonya) and their children Michael and Miranda (Ethan Partridge) and Miranda and Ethan's children, Levi and Ruby.

Visitation will be from 9:00AM through 9:45AM on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, with a funeral service immediately following at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, 1860 S. Mulford Road, Rockford, IL 61108.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary & Clinic of Rockford.