Freeport – Mary "Colleen" Gift, 78 of Freeport passed away on May 14, 2023 at Generations At Neighbors Rehabilitation in Byron, IL. She was born on September 28, 1944 in Stuart, IA to the late Edwin and Agnes Mary (Eagan) Lydon. She and William Gift were married on July 1 ^st , 1972 and together they built a life and raised a family.

Colleen retired after many years of teaching at Highland Community College and Blackhawk Technical College in Monroe, WI. She enjoyed knitting, sewing, quilting, making greeting cards, traveling the world and reading. She was a part of the Freeport Public Library book club, the Brodhead, WI Quilt club and St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church of Freeport.

She is survived by her husband, William of Freeport; her sons, Brendan Gift of Omaha, NE and Kegan Gift of Denver, CO; her sisters, Jean (Jerry) Kranzler of Des Moines, IA; Linda (Glenn) Sisco of Lander, WY; Janet (Robert) Dyer of Toledo, OH and Ann (Drew) Munch of Traverse City, MI. She is preceded in death by her sister, Beth Dickey and her brother, Martin Lydon.

There will be a visitation at Walker Mortuary on Friday, May 19th beginning at 1pm followed by a memorial service at 2pm, also at Walker Mortuary. Her final resting place will be at Silent Hill Cemetery in McConnell, IL.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Voices of Stephenson County, supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence.​

VOICES of
Stephenson County
PO Box 462
Freeport, IL 61032

(815) 235-9421

Donations can also be made via credit card on their website at: https://voicesofsc.org/donate/