Roberto Escobar

Roberto U. Escobar, 81, of Rockford, passed away on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. Born March 20, 1944, in Colombia, the son of Jose and Ana (Jimenez) Escobar. Roberto married Lydia Beightley on January 10, 1975 in Rockford. She predeceased him on March 22, 2015. He was a long time Union employee and retiree of Valspar Paint Co. Roberto loved his family, enjoyed golf when he retired, beers with his brother-in-law, Jeff, and was a Chicago Bears and Cubs fan. He looked forward to his annual winter trips to visit his family in Colombia.

Survived by his daughter, Natalie (Chris) Picchi; granddaughters, Ana and Amelia Picchi; siblings, Rubiela, Gladys (Fernando) and Fabio; fiancé, Saribel; sisters-in-law, Rubiela, Viviana, and Michele Beightley; brothers-in-law, Neil Birkholtz, Peter (Diane Rapaport) Beightley and Jeffrey Beightley; and multiple nieces and nephews he loved very much. Also predeceased by his parents; siblings, Carlos, Jose, and Melida; brothers-in-law, Bernardo and Jim (Sherry) Beightley; and sisters-in-law, Leslie Birkholtz, Jane Beightley, and Andrea Sharp.

The family would like to give a special thank you to the Heartland Hospice Team and Hannah & Chemere.

Memorial Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at Fred C. Olson Chapel, 1001 Second Ave., Rockford. Memorials may be made to YWCA La Voz Latina, 4990 E. State St., Rockford, IL 61108. To share a memory or condolence, please visit www.olsonfh.com.