Noreen Jean Gebhardt

Noreen Jean Gebhardt (née Rossi) passed peacefully on March 29, 2026 at age 85.

Born on June 3, 1940, in Chicago Heights, Illinois, Noreen—also known as Jean to many—spent her early years in Chicago Heights and then Steger, Illinois. In 1986, she moved to Florida, where she lived for many years before spending her final years in Wisconsin.

Noreen took great pride in her career as a legal assistant, and was known for her professionalism, strong work ethic, and interpersonal skills.

Music was at the heart of Noreen’s life. She loved dancing, playing the organ, singing in church choirs, and listening to music of all kinds - it often served as the backdrop to her many creative pursuits. She had a special gift for silk flower arranging and a natural eye for color and design in all her crafting.

More than anything, Noreen loved her family. She was a devoted and protective daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, wife, and mother. Her love, strength, and presence will be deeply missed by all who knew her. If you heard Noreen’s laugh, you never forgot it.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Pasquale F. Rossi and Lucille (Onofrio) Rossi; sister and brother-in-law, Betty and Michael Jarema; brother and sister-in-law, Anthony and Audrey Rossi; husband, Anthony R. Gebhardt; infant daughter, Carolyn; and many cherished companion pets.

She is survived by her loving daughters, Janet (Mark) Abell and Linda Loman (Gary Bendix).

Memorials may be made in the form of donations to an animal-related charity of your choice, the American Brain Foundation, or the Alzheimer’s Association, in support of dementia and brain health research.

Celebration of Life to be held Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. until time of Memorial Service at 11:00 a.m. at Smits – Steger Memorial Chapel, 3045 Chicago Rd., Steger, Illinois 60475. Inurnment to follow at Assumption Cemetery, Glenwood, Illinois. For further information please contact Steger Memorial Chapel at 708-755-6100 or visit our online obituary and guestbook at WWW.SMITSFH.COM.