Gail Lynn Meehan

Gail Lynn Meehan, 73, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina passed away peacefully on Monday, February 10, 2025. She was born on May 15, 1951, in Rockford, Illinois to parents Ruth (née Cirksena) and Walter Boyle. 

Gail attended the Rockford Public Schools, graduating from Guilford High School. She went on to complete a bachelor’s degree in education at Western Illinois University and a master’s degree in special education from Northern Illinois University. Gail spent the next 40 years as a beloved and revered special education teacher at numerous schools in the Rockford public and parochial district, educating students of all ages. 

Gail met her husband Paul Meehan in Rockford on September 6, 1980, falling in love immediately. The two were married at Gail’s home church, Second Congregational Church, on August 1, 1981. Gail gave birth to daughter Michelle on July 2, 1987. Gail’s impact was felt by many across all areas of her life. She was a wonderful, beautiful wife with the patience of a saint. She guided many special education students on their paths to fulfilling and achieving happy successful lives. She was a dedicated mother to Michelle and always the favorite mom to the kids in the neighborhood, hosting endless pool parties with fresh baked goods ever at the ready. Gail loved watching figure skating, listening to music, and attending more than a dozen Bruce Springsteen concerts. She especially loved the beach, going for walks, riding her bike, and taking in the beauty of Hilton Head Island with her beloved husband, Paul. 

A doting wife, mother, sister, sister-in-law, educator, and friend, Gail will be remembered fondly for her caring smile, patience, compassion, and steady presence. 

She is survived by her husband Paul, her daughter, Michelle Meehan and son-in-law Ryan Rudd of Minneapolis, Minnesota, her brother Tom Boyle and his wife Blanca, Paul’s four sisters, Patty, Maureen, Sheila, and Kathleen, along with many nieces and nephews, her lifelong best friend best friend from childhood, Linda King, and many friends in Rockford, IL and Hilton Head Island, SC. A special thanks to Gail’s caregivers at home and at The Addison of Bluffton. 

A Celebration of Life with friends and family is scheduled for 2:00pm on Friday February 28, 2025, at The Island Funeral Home and Crematory, 4 Cardinal Rd. Hilton Head Island. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to Memory Matters in Hilton Head Island.