Lucretia Virginia Deuerling

Lucretia "Ginny" Virginia Deuerling, 61, of Woodstock, passed away unexpectedly on April 21, 2026. She was born on October 21, 1964 in Lake Forest, IL to James and Lucretia Johnson.

Ginny lived life to the fullest! Her creative spirit encompassed many of her passions, like taking life to the bright lights of the stage. Ginny’s first taste of the limelight came at Lake Zurich High when she landed the role of Maria Rainer in the 1981 production of the The Sound of Music. That passion led her to taking the stage leading the band Zurich, where she met the love of her life Bill Deuerling. Her passion for the stage grew when she won the part of Miss Mona at the Woodstock Opera House production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. This role gained Ginny acclaim with a nomination for a Booney. Ginny held many other roles throughout her life in community theater starring in Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and I Remember Momma. Her life on stage saw her join forces in the family band, The Prairie Schooners. Ginny paired with her sister Linnae Babick, brother-in-law Mark Babick, husband Bill, and best musical friend Steve Swick performed fantastic cowboy tunes regularly around Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin in the mid-1990s. During this time, she held a standing part at Donley’s Wild West Town as a saloon performer. Her joy for the stage and music found her performing with regional choirs. She performed with the Iowa State and Rockford Symphony Choirs through her life. She loved entertaining others and these endeavors never ceased to amaze people around her. Especially if you found her at karaoke, usually performing a rendition of Love Shack only rivaled by the B-52s themselves.

Ginny’s passion for the stage continued into her spiritual life. Her vocal abilities shown through weekly at church where she could share her talent with the parishioners. She was a soprano in the adult choir at St. Paul’s UCC of Crystal Lake and previously at St. John’s UCC of Union. She participated in praise band with Bill rekindling their fun on stage together. Ginny never kept her talent to herself and spent countless hours directing kids and adult choir at both churches. She enjoyed teaching everyone how to use their gifts to spread joy to others. Her connection to religion and God came in many forms, but singing drove her strongest connection. Her desire to spread happiness to others was infectious.

Ginny loved to crack jokes. Her ability knew no bounds and could overstep lines into as the kids say, “Cringe!” She never stopped trying to put a smile on your face. She knew her quotes, especially from the great Australian comedy The Castle. Now she is getting to enjoy Bonnie Dune, and forever asking, “How’s the serenity?” Her ability to improvise usually started with the most mundane observation. Ginny’s improvisation was her version of trading a paper clip up to a new home. She could weave a web of the most ridiculous tales with her creativity. These stories usually involved neighborhood characters, her versions of primetime actors, or any combinations of athletes past or present. Could she rename doctors or strangers after famous icons? You’re darn tootin’. Could this also upset those strangers? Absolutely. Was it in good fun to try and lighten the mood? You got that right. She could take you from having a crappy day to giving you the greatest belly laugh you’ve had. This trait showed how much she cared about you.

Ginny’s passion for service to others knew no bounds. She loved spending summers at vacation bible school. She took her passion for teaching to another level, as students loved her ability to bring any lesson to life. Ginny would take time mentoring at-risk youth. She believed kids from a bad situation or those that lost their way deserved redemption. She always saw the best in people and wanted others to succeed. These characteristics were best displayed during mission trips with Mt. Top Ministries. Where she shined the brightest was with the families. She would help make each member of the family feel special and that they were worthy of love. This special ability to pay it forward made lasting impressions on each family that got the pleasure to know her. Her love and compassion will continue to live on through these acts of service.

Ginny’s friends will remember her loving spirit. Many of her friends will also remember founding Lake Zurich High’s first and only “Glof” Cheerleading Team together. Was this the best use of their time? Some would argue yes, others more attuned to the golfing scene…let’s put it this way: the golfers didn’t matter. The Cheerleading Team gave it their all in 1982. Ginny waxed affectionately about her membership to the Brew Crew of ’82. This membership led to a fantastic float during Lake Zurich Alpine Festival. She loved to catch up with old friends, usually at the Koffee Kup Diner where they’d reminisce over a tall tale or two. Many got to experience her creativity every October 31, when Ginny expanded her talents to costume design. Whether it was dressing up Will with as an age-inappropriate South Park character in 4th grade, sending Bill to Sundstrand dressed as “The Most Interesting Man in the World”, getting her daughter-in-law to look like the iconic Moira Rose, or sewing any costume from scratch for a child; it didn’t matter as long as she got to have fun. She loved playing dress-up or should I say forcing others to wear the latest wig that tickled her fancy.

She enjoyed traveling and trying new experiences. Traveling was a staple in the Deuerling family. Packing up the family car for a road trip meant we got to build memories together. She enjoyed going abroad especially to visit her son Ben and his host family. Little did she know that this host family would become a German extension to our own. Ginny loved Martina and Gerald (Gerry to her) fiercely. The latest experience Ginny began to hone: becoming a grandmother. She loved her grandchildren with a passion unmatched by anything. The light brought to her by Harrison and Ophelia shown brightly. G.G. will miss playing with them, spoiling them with love, encouraging each of them to be their best, and seeing them grow into amazing people.

Ginny will be missed so much by her loving husband, Bill; sons, Will and Ben; daughters-in-law Lauren (Will) and Isabel (Ben); Grandchildren Harrison and Ophelia; Brother, Lon (Kerrie) Johnson; Sister, Linnae (Mark) Babick; Mother-in-Law Terri Deuerling.

She was preceded in death by her mother Lucretia Johnson and father James Johnson.

A Celebration of Lucretia’s Life will be held on July 18, 2026. More details will come out over the next month. Please use the link to our Facebook Event to stay up to date with the latest information. If you do not use Facebook and would like to stay up to date on this Celebration, please send an email to Lauren Bachmann (lbachmann26@gmail.com) or Will Deuerling (deuerlingw@gmail.com) to receive the latest updates.

Celebration of Life event:

https://www.facebook.com/share/183gjQYuQC/

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to DS Action - https://downsyndromeaction.org/ or Rockford Rescue Mission - https://www.rockfordrescuemission.org/. Both organizations played large roles in Ginny’s life.