Sally Packard

Sally Ann Packard (89) passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on December 21, 2025. Sally embodied unconditional love and was incredibly proud of her entire family.

Sally was born on August 8, 1936 to John Scott Burton and Eleanor Kathryn (Mottram) in Chicago. Sally spent her youth in Chicago and told many a story about the adventures of her time there with her sister, Jane and her very best friend Mary Ann. Sally graduated from Immaculata High School and then attended Mundelein College where she was a synchronized swimmer. She held many jobs in Chicago from wrapping hangers with paper for a dry-cleaning company to dispatching fleets to being in the secretarial pool for the Butcher's Union.

Sally entered into her favorite period of her life - motherhood - in 1957 when her first child was born. Over the next 10 years, she would welcome 8 total children: Jane, Sue, Rick, Linda, Dar, Dan, Mary, and Don.

In 1975 Sally and her husband Al would move to Lena, Illinois. Sally worked at Microswitch in Freeport, Al welded, and the two of them created a lifetime of memories for their children as well as countless others brought into the beloved Packard fold.

When Sally and Al took up winter living in Florida in the early 2000's, her family grew even more. Friendships and relationships formed in the Sunshine State carried them through the cold Midwest winters until they returned home.

Sally's greatest source of joy was her family. In addition to her 8 wonderful children, Sally was a grandmother to 23, great-grandmother to 26, and great-great-grandmother to 1. Sally had so much love to share that she simultaneously convinced all 58 of the family members that they were her ONLY favorite.

Sally spread love everywhere she went. Whether that be from her kitchen serving angel food cake or her famous ribs or frying freshly caught grouper. (We think that the customer service folks from King Arthur flour even felt her love); from her garden collecting monarch butterfly eggs to hatch in an old pretzel container (she was a certified Master Gardener, to boot), or around the fire listening to tall tales (mostly from Al) and laughing with friends and family.

Sally is preceded in death by her husband, Al, her sister, Jane, and her son, Ricky. They are now reunited and Geek is now likely catching flack for 3 years of unsupervised behavior.

Sally is survived by seven of her children: Jane Nagel, Sue Simmons (Dan Holland), Linda Diedrich (Kevin Walsh), Darlene Eggleston, Daniel (Debbie) Packard, Mary (Al) Tessendorf, Don (Stacy) Packard. Sally is also survived by all 50 grandchildren (of multiple generations), special friends Kim and Jim Goebel, John Clark, Denny and Cheryl Burnham and many other friends, too countless to name.

Sally was the kindest and most loving person you'd hope to meet. She will forever serve as a role model when it comes to seeing the best in people, listening while not judging, and loving unconditionally.

We love you, gram.

Visitation will be held from10:00 a.m. until noon on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Lena.

Funeral Service to follow at the church.

Officiating the service will be Rev. Shaw.

Cremation rites to be accorded.

In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established for SSM Health Monroe Clinic Hospital Hospice.