Gregory Van Blaricom

Gregory G. Van Blaricom, 72, of Rockford, Illinois, passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by his family on Saturday, February 19, 2022. Greg was born to Jessica “Jessie” (Pangburn) and George Van Blaricom on July 6, 1949, in Rockford. He attended East High School of Rockford. Greg joined the U.S. Navy and spent the late 1960’s proudly serving his country. Greg became a truck driver and transporter for over 18 years and was based at Alder in Wisconsin. On September 7, 1974, Greg married the love of his life, Anita Arnold. Greg was very proud of the home and the life he and Anita built together, but most importantly, proud of his beautiful yard. He made sure to have the greenest grass on the block, and spent countless hours working diligently in his garden. From butterfly bushes to wild grasses, gardening became a lifelong passion. He became very familiar with the birds and admired watching them. In all, he was an animal lover. Greg also enjoyed grilling anything that was meat for him and his family to enjoy. He enjoyed every minute he had with his family, especially his grandson, Lucian. Aside from his outdoor work, he loved to spend his downtime reading various types of articles and books. He also became very good at playing cards, his favorite game being Pitch. Greg is survived by his wife of 47 years, Anita; daughters, Meagan Van Blaricom and Bretigny (Warren) Van Blaricom; grandson, Lucian Mizner; sisters, Sharon (Fred) Albretchson, Char (Tom) Gardner, and Becky (Tim) Whitlow; many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Greg was preceded in death by his parents, Jessie and George; twin sister, Cindy Loring. A Celebration of Life will be held privately with his family at a later date. If you wish to send a card to Greg’s family, please address those to Stateline Cremations, who is assisting the family, 712 Windsor Road, Loves Park, Illinois 61111. Statelinecremations.com