Melinda Hagerman, 65, of Rockford is a funeral director.

How you would fill out your social networking “status update”? Melinda Hagerman is keeping up with her friends on Facebook, hanging out with them, e-mailing them, having dinner with them or talking to them on the phone.

AMY J. CORRENTI | ROCKFORDWOMAN.COM
Melinda Hagerman at Benson Stone Co. in Rockford.

Proudest achievement and why: My two daughters (Amy is 39 and Laura is 35). As far as my career goes, helping to get the Northern Illinois Hospice and Grief Center organization established. I was one of the founding board members. I was also very proud to receive the Spirit of Caring Award in 2004 from Crusader Community Health, to start the first grief support group in a funeral home in northern Illinois through Fitzgerald Funeral and co-found the Walk to Remember with Kathy Erickson and SwedishAmerican Hospital.

Best job and why: What I’m doing now, working as a funeral director at Fitzgerald Funeral Home. I’ve worked there for 23 years. My job has such variety, and I see such changes in people as families come and go and give me the opportunity to walk with them during difficult times.

What getting involved means to you: It’s such an honor to be involved with anything in this community. Getting involved helps us step out of our world and be part of the diversity in the rest of the world around us.

Three words that describe you, or your best trait: I really feel I’ve been given the gift to have insight into people, to hopefully be nonjudgmental and understand where other people are coming from.

Words to live by: I think every day we have a choice, whether we’re going to be content and be open to others and respect individual differences and be enthusiastic about what we’re doing.

Biggest challenges, then and now: Now, it’s maintaining a balanced schedule. Then, when I was starting out in the working world, there were not a lot of women in funeral service. I met with a lot of criticism and barriers. Tom Fitzgerald was totally open to everything, and he was extremely supportive.

Current goal or wish: I like where I am, in that I like what I’m doing. I guess a goal would be to continue in being able to accept people where they are and be able to enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I have a fabulous network of friends. And I want to stay content and flexible in my life.

What makes you smile: Watching my 5-year-old granddaughter, Olivia, changing, learning and growing.

What motivates you: People. Just being able to spend time with people and walk with them — that’s enough motivation for me.

Two things you do to relax: Spending time with friends whether it’s on the beach or in Rockford going to plays and musicals. I’ve been getting together with old friends for many years.

Hours of sleep per night: I try to get eight hours, but that hasn’t happened in many years.

Young women should ... take pride in who they are and set goals, not be intimidated or deterred from their goals and have enthusiasm about what they do.

If you could only say one thing about life or yourself: Every day is a gift — take it and run.

AMY J. CORRENTI | ROCKFORDWOMAN.COM

About Melinda Hagerman
Age: 65

Born in: Springfield, Mo.

City of residence: Rockford

Family: Two daughters, Amy and Laura; son-in-law, Derek Simmons; granddaughter, Olivia; two granddogs and two grandcats.

Education: Studied sociology at Central Missouri State University; graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Wheeling. Has a funeral director’s license in Missouri and a funeral director/embalmer’s license in Illinois.

Community involvement: Member of Professional Homecare Advisory Board for OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center; former board member of the University Club (first female board member); University Club committee member; member of Grief Center Advisory Panel for Northern Illinois Hospice and Grief Center; member of Our Masters United Methodist Church; involved with the Healing Hearts Support Group and the Walk to Remember, which are both for families affected by miscarriage, stillbirths and early infant death; involved with the Haven Network for perinatal death and bereavement; involved with Womanspace; former foundation member of St. Anne Center; continues to train hospice leaders in the surrounding communities and has trained other local and regional funeral directors on the importance of follow-up care for the grieving.

Career highlights: Fitzgerald won a National Funeral Director Pursuit of Excellence award in 1992; 2004 winner of Spirit of Caring Award from Crusader Community Health; founding board member of Northern Illinois Hospice and Grief Center, former chairwoman of hospice’s speakers bureau and former hospice coordinator of volunteers; was named Northern Illinois Hospice’s first Volunteer of the Year and received the organization’s Founders Award.

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