Margaret Gerlich

Margaret Gerlich

July 21, 1931 - May 16, 2025

Margaret Gerlich (née McGraw) passed away peacefully on May 16, 2025, surrounded by the family she loved so deeply. Margaret was born on July 21, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois, to Walter and Isabelle McGraw. Margaret was known to many as "Peggy" and to her brothers as "Sis", and she lived a life centered on faith, creativity, and unwavering devotion to her family.

She attended St. Laurence, St. Felicitas, and St. Thomas the Apostle schools in Chicago and carried the values she learned there throughout her life. Margaret was the beloved wife of the late Thomas Gerlich, and together they raised seven children. She met the demands of motherhood with grace, humor, and a remarkable ability to make something wonderful out of anything.

Margaret had a gift for turning everyday life into something special. She sewed prom dresses with her signature artistic flair, prepared nightly dinners timed perfectly for her husband's return from a long day in construction, and transformed every holiday into a grand occasion with a beautifully set table and thoughtful touches. Her home was a place of warmth, tradition, and unconditional love.

As the heart of her family, Margaret gave tirelessly-not only to her 7 children, but to the generations that followed. She was a proud and loving grandmother to 12 grandchildren, a devoted great-grandmother to 13 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. Her legacy of kindness, creativity, and care lives on through each of them.

Margaret is now reunited in heaven with her beloved husband Thomas, her son Terrence Gerlich, her granddaughter Noelle Baker, her brothers and sister-in-laws John and Helen, and Frank and Ruth.

She is survived by her children, Thomas (Betty Jean) Gerlich, Jeanne (Kevin) Baker, Elaine Gerlich, Lisa (Scott) Little, Kurt (Kathleen) Gerlich, and Eric Gerlich, as well as her many cherished grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchild, several other family members as well as numerous friends.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 22, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Vandenberg Funeral Home, 17248 Harlem Ave., Tinley Park, IL 60477, with closing prayers and procession to a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 AM at St. George Church, 6707 W. 175th St., Tinley Park, IL 60477.

Burial will be at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Alsip.

Margaret Gerlich will be remembered for her strength, her generosity, and the deep love she gave to her family. She leaves behind a legacy that will live on for generations.