Patricia (Pat) Rogers, age 83, of Freeport, Illinois, formerly of Davis, Illinois and Elk Grove Village, Illinois, passed away peacefully at home, holding the hands of her family, on Tuesday, October 18, 2016. She was born February 23, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois to the late Roy and Ann (Szawica/Sawyer) Gorney. Pat graduated from Steinmetz High School in 1951 and married Earl Rogers in 1958 in Chicago, Illinois.
Pat worked as a model for the Patricia Stevens agency in Chicago during her 20's and, in her later years, as an Administrative Assistant for the Arlington Heights Police and Fire Departments. She was also an Executive Assistant for the American Academy of Pediatrics in Elk Grove. Pat and Earl retired to the Lake Summerset community in Davis in 2000, and she moved last year to Parkview Retirement Community in Freeport, where she relished in creating a beautiful carefree home with the help of her children, enjoying the sisterhood of her neighbors, and the loving the amenities provided by the exceptional Parkview staff. She never stopped enjoying the lifestyle and simple pleasures of a small town community where she found friendships to be deep and her enjoyment of farmland and animals to be plentiful. Pat was also an active member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Durand, Illinois, where she served as a Eucharistic Minister, delivering communion to the homebound. Her hobbies included volunteering, stained glass, and gardening. Until her short illness, she was extremely active and never slowed down. She enjoyed helping others, socializing with her friends and family, and fashion. She had a special love for her pets, Gretchen, Ginger, Taffy, Windy and Perry.
She is survived by her children, Patrick Rogers of Burlington, Wisconsin, Maureen (Mark) Washburn of Chicago, and Neil (Karyn Skleney) Rogers of Elk Grove Village; and grandson, Michael (Gabrielle) Rogers of Chicago, Illinois; her first cousin, Dorothy Durkin; and many cherished relatives. She is preceded in death by her parents and husband, Earl, who passed in 2003.
On Saturday, October 22nd, a visitation will be held at the Daughenbaugh Funeral Home in Dakota, IL from 9:00 to 10:00 am, followed by a Funeral Mass at 10:30 am at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Durand, Illinois. A private interment will take place at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Arlington Heights, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established for the Parkview Retirement Community and the American Cancer Society.