89, of Macomb
It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved Sally Gray Egler on April 19th, 2026, at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, IL, aged 89. Sally was the very definition of a life well-lived. She was a force for good in the world and an inspiration to those who knew her. Born November 26, 1936, in Elgin, IL to Harold and Margaret (Gray) Thurnau, Sally lost her mother at a young age. In her mother’s place, several strong and well-educated women - some family members; others, friends of her mother - stepped in to guide and support her. Those women created a template of strength, support, duty, and kindness that Sally would follow for the rest of her life.
Sally was incredibly quick-witted and loved a good discussion or a friendly argument of national policies, current events, local politics, and worthy books. Sally honed her debating skills at Elgin High School (class of 1955) and at Northwestern University. At Elgin, she was a National Speech and Debate Champion in the categories of Extemporaneous Speaking and Policy Debate. At Northwestern, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in speech (’59) and master’s degree in communication (’65), Sally was part of Northwestern’s nationally recognized debate team. Sally was also a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and kept in touch with many of her sorority sisters throughout her life.
Sally married David Egler February 20, 1965, in Elgin. After having sons Eric and Jordan, Sally and David embarked on the adventure of a lifetime when they moved to Japan for two years. While David taught at the university, Sally gamely raised her children, fell in love with sumo wrestling, explored Tokyo on her bicycle – often with Eric and Jordan on the back, and made lifelong friends despite not being fluent in Japanese. Returning to Japan for another teaching stint for David when Sally was 61, the couple loved to travel widely and often. In fact, they crossed the country only last month to visit friends on the West Coast.
After returning to the United States in 1972, David taught Asian history at Western Illinois University and Sally taught English and speech at Macomb High School. During her 20-year tenure at MHS, Sally continued to coach debate, directed plays, and became beloved among her students for the wit and sparkle she brought to her job as well as her genuine care and unwavering support of her students. Many of those students would become friends later in life.
Todd S. Purdum, a former student and journalist for The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, and the New York Times, remembers Sally as, “… an extraordinary teacher and a wonderful, warm person. … she was one of the handful of people who changed my life. Mrs. Egler was the kind of teacher whose own excitement made you want not only to please her, but to do your best work for its own sake. She was a gem. “In later years, Sally remained a supportive cheerleader for all my career efforts. On one of my trips home to Macomb to talk about a book I’d written, Sally knew my appearance would be followed by a midday drive to Peoria, and made me a sandwich and snack for the road. I know her legacy will live on in the lives and work of her many friends and former students. But for her family, and for Macomb, she’s an irreplaceable treasure, one whose cheery emails in my inbox I will miss with abiding sadness.”
Sally’s generous spirit extended to her colleagues as well. Fellow MHS teacher, Janna Haworth remembers Sally as, “… a wonderful colleague, always listening to others’ comments and offering encouragement or help as needed. She also could frame any event to make a fascinating story.”
Sally was a woman of principle and deeply held beliefs in equality and civic duty. She believed that we all have power to change the system. Even in the darkest times, she refused to become jaded or defeated. Instead, she preferred to exercise her right to free speech and, most of all, to let that voice be heard through the ballot box. She encouraged others to do the same as when she volunteered year after year to register WIU students to vote and when she proudly took her grandson, Henry, to register to vote on his 18th birthday. During her 25-year membership in League of Women Voters, she served as the League’s Vice-President and as Chair of the Voters Service Committee. She spent countless hours organizing and sometimes moderating the League’s forums to introduce voters to candidates seeking local elected offices. While Sally herself had strong political opinions, her belief in an informed electorate and fair and free elections was equally strong.
One of Sally’s proudest moments was when she held a fundraiser for a political upstart running for Illinois Senate. It was a beautiful event, done with Sally’s inimitable style and grace, and it raised a lot of money for the man who would one day become president, Barak Obama. Each year afterwards and throughout his presidency, Sally would receive a Christmas card from the Obama family which she would display on the mantle above the fireplace along with the well wishes of her family and many friends throughout the world.
In a past life, Sally would have been a suffragette. She gave generously to the American Civil Liberties Union to protect other Americans’ Constitutional rights. She was a founding member of the Macomb Feminists Network - an organization devoted to equal treatment and opportunities for women. The organization recognized Sally in 2018 with a Writing Women into History award which recognizes women who have been role models in the community and made substantial contributions to the quality of services and opportunities in McDonough County.
Very few people, “walked the walk” as Sally did. She was a member of the Macomb Zoning Board of Appeals, a volunteer at the West Central Illinois Arts Center, a reader for Western Illinois University’s Radio Information Services, and a member of the Community/ University Partnership Program. She was also active in the local teacher’s union, a branch of Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA). In 2010 she received a Quality of Life Award for her leadership in changing city zoning codes to protect single-family neighborhoods.
With all her community and civic duties, Sally still found time to look after the people around her. It is here that we will miss her most. She was our leader and our rock. Sally always knew “the right thing to do,” and would help you do it. She provided wise counsel, genuine care and concern, and boundless energy to help her family and friends achieve their goals and to be the best people we could possibly be. She was a careful listener; she checked back in days and weeks after conversations had passed; she pointed you in the right direction and gave you the tools you needed to get there. Her students, her family, and her friends always felt a little stronger knowing we had Sally in our corner.
Sally leaves behind a legacy of good deeds well done, love and support freely given, and an example of how to lead a life welllived. She leaves behind her devoted husband and friend, David of Macomb; her sons Eric (wife Carollynn) of Sasche Texas, and Jordan of Macomb; the Laura Egler of Macomb; her grandsons, Henry, Austin, and Owen Egler; and inherited children and grandchild following the death of her beloved Northwestern sorority sister Susan Moore. Sally also leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews, their spouses, and their children – all of whom she loved dearly and took great pride in. She was preceded in death by her younger brother Tom Thurnau.
Memorials may be given to National Public Radio, the Western Illinois Arts Center, or the Western Illinois Performing Arts Center. If you really want to honor Sally, VOTE!
A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
