Gwendolyn A. "Gwen" Wainwright, 79, of Rock Island, passed away on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 at her daughter's home in Osco, Ill. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday at the Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Rock Island. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery, Rock Island. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, with a rosary at 4 p.m. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association.

Gwendolyn Aree Wainwright was born on May 15, 1935 in Moline, a daughter of Marvin and Darlene Costigan Wells. She married James Rylander in November of 1955 in Rock Island. She later married Calvin Wainwright on February 14, 1976 in Iowa. Calvin preceded her in death on February 2, 1982.

Gwen attended Alleman High School, she had just celebrated her 60th class reunion. She worked for various branches of Rock Island county as a secretary, most notably the Rock Island County Forest Preserve. She was also a bailiff at the Rock Island County Courthouse, retiring in 2012. Gwen loved spending time with family, Catfish Jazz and volunteering with the Rock Island Democratic Party. She greatly enjoyed music and the social scene.

Left to cherish her memory are her children, Laura (Randy) Swanson, Osco, Ill., Steven (Kelly) Rylander, Roseville, CA; grandchildren, Craig and Kirk Rylander, Chicago and Robert and Ellyn Pickett, Moline and a sister, Marlyne (Jack) Carroll, Dublin, Ohio.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Calvin and a son, Christopher Todd Rylander.