Linda Garson

Linda B. Garson, 77, of Rockford, passed away peacefully in her home on June 27th, 2026, surrounded by a large group of family and friends. She was born on June 23rd, 1949, in Rockford, IL to Nicholas and Anna (Maggio) Guagliardo.

Linda was the eldest of three children and graduated from Boylan Central Catholic High School in 1967. Shortly following high school, she traveled to California, where she met her husband, Tom. They were married in 1969 and had two children, Ken and Anne. In 1975, Tom and Linda relocated back to Rockford to be close to her family. Linda began her career at Rockford Memorial Hospital in Environmental Services and spent most of her time there as an assistant in the Microbiology Lab, retiring after 25 years of dedicated service.

Linda was a strong and loving wife and mother. She was extremely close to her grandchildren and was a constant support in their lives – whether it was cheering them on at a sporting event or dropping everything to drive them somewhere, Grandma Linda enjoyed every minute spent with them. She loved to laugh and was quick with a joke. In the spirit of her Italian heritage, she loved to entertain and host large gatherings of family and friends. Her door was always open. She had an incredibly generous spirit and would go out of her way to help anyone in need. She was genuinely interested in all people and was often the person striking up a conversation with a stranger and getting their life story. She was a straight shooter, had a big voice and strong opinions at times, but was always one to extend grace and acceptance to all. Linda had a love of travel, both domestic and international, and was a fan of English television dramas and live music. Linda was a lifelong Roman Catholic and a longtime active member of Holy Family Catholic Church and was involved with their Women’s Guild. Her faith was devout and unwavering.

Her family and friends are heartbroken over the absence of her in our lives going forward, but find comfort in reflecting on the type of life she lived. She’ll be forever fondly remembered and deeply missed.

Linda is survived by son, Kenneth (Victoria), daughter Anne Gray, grandsons Nicholas (Aubyn) Momaly, Nolan Gray, granddaughter Angelica, brother James (Kim) Guagliardo, and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She is predeceased by husband Thomas, parents, Anna (Maggio) and Nicholas Guagliardo, and brother John Guagliardo.

Special thanks to the entire team at Northern Illinois Hospice and to Heather Hartman, NP of Jet Healthcare, for their compassionate care, and to neighbors Jean and Greg Horihan for their many years of help and support.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church on Friday, July 3, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. with Fr. Phillip Kaim officiating. For those who cannot attend in person, it will be livestreamed at https://holyfamilyrockford.org/. Visitation will be at 9:30 a.m. preceding the Mass.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family.

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