Patricia M. Murphy

Patricia Marie Murphy, age 88, of Belvidere, Illinois passed away in Rockford, Illinois on Tuesday, October 24, 2023. She was born March 20, 1935 to Walter and Catherine (Kelly) Murphy in Chicago, Illinois.

Patricia attended St. Leonard Catholic School in Berwyn, IL and St. Mary High School in Chicago, IL. She went on to be a legal secretary for many years and met some now famous people in her time there. Patricia loved to create, she was an artist. She could draw, she did stained glass and ceramic pieces. Her favorite was needlework, she did cross stitch, crochet, and knitting. She would even donate hats and scarves that she knitted and crocheted to local charities.

She is survived by her children, Noreen (David) Heinekamp, Sheila Koek, and William (Georgia) Ashby; grandchildren, Sean (Kristy) Heinekamp, Kristopher Heinekamp, Timothy (Hilary) Heinekamp, Bryan (Kelly) Meredith, Robert Ploense, Kyle Ploense, John Ploense, James Koek, and Aaron Koek; great-grandchildren, Lukas Heinekamp, Emma Heinekamp, Nikolaus Heinekamp, Addison Meredith, Olivia Meredith, Rosemary Bainbridge, and Daisy Ploense; and siblings, Rita Finnerty and Dolores (Jeff) Kennel.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Catherine and Walter Murphy; children, William F. Ashby, Michael Ashby, and Patrick Ashby; siblings, Walter Murphy, Kathleen Rzepka, and Elizabeth Perry; and brother-in-laws, Robert Finnerty, Joseph Costello, and James Perry.

A visitation for Patricia will be held Friday, November 10, 2023 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Sunset Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens, 8800 North Alpine Road, Machesney Park, Illinois 61115, followed by a memorial service at 11:00 AM.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sunsetfhmemgardens.com for the Murphy family.