MARY RATOS

Date of Birth

July 7, 1956

Date of Death

October 12, 2021

Mary Margaret (Sauber) Ratos, age 65, of Yorkville, IL passed away on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 at her home, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She was born on July 7, 1956 in Sycamore, Illinois the daughter of Charles J. and Lorraine (Wiemer) Sauber.

Mary married her high school sweetheart, James G. Ratos on May 27, 1978, and they spent the next 43 happy years of their lives together. She was a graduate of Kaneland High School and Northern Illinois University. Mary was a Special Education Teacher before choosing to stay at home to raise her 4 children; Niki, Pete, Jimmy and Tommy. Athlete of the year in high school, she continued to be invested in physical fitness throughout her life. She brought a tremendous amount of energy, passion, and love to raising her four children, and developing businesses in the community with her husband Jim.

Mary was a master naturalist and loved spending time outdoors tending to her garden at home and working to restore her prairie in Wisconsin. Interacting with nature was not just a hobby for Mary, it was her philosophy and her way of life. Perhaps her greatest joy was caring for others and having her family gathered together. Mary was known for her baking, generous gift giving, and hospitality. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt and niece who will be deeply missed by her family and friends.

Left to honor her memory are her husband, Jim, of Yorkville, IL; her children, Nicole (Ben) Enerson of Sudbury, MA, Pete (Nicky) Ratos of Yorkville, IL, Jimmy (Jen) Ratos of Yorkville, IL and Tommy (Rachel) Ratos of Geneva, IL; her grandchildren, George and Gregory Ratos, of Yorkville, IL, Gavin and Grace Ratos of Yorkville, IL, Henry Enerson of Sudbury, MA and a baby boy on the way in Geneva, IL; her brothers and sisters, Chuck (Pat) Sauber of Marengo, IL, Lorrie (Denny) Bearrows of Chana, IL, Sandy (Rich) Zang of St. Charles, IL, John (Kathy) Sauber of Caro, MI, Mike (Donna) Sauber of Virgil, IL, Mike (Donna) Zang of Sycamore, IL, Jan (Greg) Truhler of Vadnais Heights, MN, Jeanie Petesch of Sycamore, IL, Anne (Steve) Almburg of Malta, IL, Jim (Karla) Sauber of Sycamore, IL, Sara (Mike) Blaser of Sycamore, IL and Tom (Patti) Sauber of Sycamore, IL; and her sister-in-law, Joy (Jim) Dravillas of Big Rock, IL; as well as 87 nieces and nephews.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Charlie and Lorraine Sauber; her in-laws, George and Georgia Ratos; her sister in infancy, Mary Sauber; her brother, Paul Sauber; and her sisters, Chris Zang and Sue (Jerry) Theisen.

Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mary’s name to the Ovarian Cancer Research Society, www.ocrahope.org, or to the Green Lake Conservancy, www.greenlakeconservancy.org.

Services will be private.