Sonia Vogl

Sonia Vogl

July 31, 1937 – May 3, 2025

Sonia was born at home in Milwaukee, WI to Eldon and Margaret Wolff. She was the eldest of three children. Although she and her husband Robert attended the same high school, where he played football and she was a cheerleader, they never met until they both took a dance class at the local YMCA. They soon realized they had the same interests and were married in June 1957 in Milwaukee, WI.

She was an avid lover of the outdoors and together they built a life around their shared passions. They attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee together, then went on to earn their Masters degrees at the University of Wisconsin in Superior, where they had their daughter Linnea. A few years after they had their son Tad, they went on together to earn their Ph.Ds. from the School of Natural Resources at the University of Michigan.

Together they worked at Camp Reinberg in Palatine, IL and worked for the Chicago Public Schools developing outdoor education programs for inner city youth. While their children were young she spent her time teaching them through experiences at home and in different regions of the country. After receiving her doctorate she secured a position as an associate professor at Northern Illinois University’s Lorado Taft Field Campus teaching field sciences, where her husband Robert was already employed. While working they led workshops and presented at the Clean Air Conferences around the world. During this time they bought a farm and restored the native prairie and the oak woodlands on the property. They also helped form the Friends of the Rock, which later became part of the Rock River Trail Initiative.

Sonia was a proficient grant writer and helped various organizations receive funding for their projects. After retirement they went on to volunteer their time by helping form the Illinois Renewable Energy Association, hosted the annual Illinois Renewable Energy and Sustainable Lifestyle Fair, continued to host workshops, were on the board of the Prairie Preservation Society of Ogle County and were pleased to be a part of the acquisition of Sand Ridge Prairie, and wrote weekly articles on energy and the environment for the Rock River Times Newspaper. Sonia and Robert were not only a married couple, but they were best friends and a team in almost every aspect of what they did.

She enjoyed exploring the environment, learning about the creatures in it and shared her enthusiasm for it with everyone around her. She had a brilliant mind, a creative spirit and a giving heart. She enjoyed simple things like being with her pets, gardening, cooking, visiting with friends and family, walking in the woods and prairie, swimming, canoeing, identifying plants and birds, and going up to the family cottage. She taught her children to be independent individuals and compassionate caretakers of the natural world. With all that she accomplished, her greatest love was spending time with her family.

Sonia will be remembered for her cheerful, enthusiastic, and loving presence. She is preceded in death by her parents and her sister Sandra (Julius) Marfy. She is survived by her husband Robert; daughter Linnea (Gerald Sepesy) Vogl; son Tad (Jean Marie Kauth) Vogl; grandson Hunter Vogl; brother Roland (Birgit) Wolff; loving nieces and nephews; her former students and her friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 26th from 12:30 to 3:30 at the Vogl farm. Please contact lin.vogl@gmail.com to RSVP and for more information.