Saturday...Janaury 29th...2011

I promised to put in the Blog the comments by the 5 special friends of Linda's who spoke at the Celebration....here's Rhody's....

Linda's Celebration of Life

Linda was a very DEDICATED & DEVOTED wife, mother, grandmother,
daughter, sister, & friend, but she was also DEDICATED & DEVOTED to
things that she enjoyed doing.

Linda spent many fun years with we, her sisters in Beta Sigma Phi.
Once a sister in Beta Sigma Phi, you are a sister for life! Linda was
DEDICATED to our chapter, so she opened her home for socials. She
baked us yummy treats, taught us how to make crafts, & how to quilt.
She loved working on social & service projects with her sisters. I
remember many fun couple's socials at Dave & Linda's home.

Linda was also very DEDICATED & DEVOTED to her faith, & to their Wings
Seminars. Linda effectively applied those life skills from the Wings
Seminars, along with her faith, to soar through the fun times in her
life, but those skills also helped her weather through the tough
times, with her soul mate Dave, right by her side. She & Dave were
both DEDICATED & DEVOTED to love & support each other during some
incredibly tough times, that just seemed to bring the two of them
closer together.

Linda called on her faith, her family, & her friends, during her Lung
Cancer journey. She adopted the phrase, BELIEVE! That word not only
inspired Linda, it inspired others as well. I, along with many of you,
became DEDICATED & DEVOTED to reading Linda's blog. Before long it
became my own personal Wings Seminar! Somedays I would laugh at what I
read, & somedays I would cry, but I always learned something, &
occasionally was able to apply what I read to my own life.

Linda was also an OPTIMIST! She fought her Cancer the same way she
lived her life, with optimism, fun, style, & grace. Reading her blog,
& spending time with her, during these past 3 1/2 years, has impacted
me profoundly.

I grew to admire & be encouraged by Linda's OPTIMISM & found myself
always feeling happy after being with her & talking with her. I didn't
leave her feeling sad or drained, but rather I left her presence
feeling happy & blessed.

This past summer we had two special dinners with Linda's old Beta
Sigma Phi Sisters. One mid summer at Barb's, & one at the end of
summer at my home. We all laughed & ate & shared pictures & stories of
days gone by. There was no sadness, just dear friends having fun!

Then on Nov. 20th, we attended Dave & Linda's 30th Anniversary Party.
Wow! What a fun party her children threw! Linda had a perma grin all
evening & even danced a little, & smooched a little with Dave. There
was no sadness or somberness, just the optimistic Linda that loved her
husband, family, friends, & life!

Then in December, we 4 sorority sisters planned a pajama party &
dinner, & rode up the freeway to Linda's home in our new matching
pajamas. Linda immediately put the ones on that we brought her, & we
giggled, ate, & shared stories & pictures until really late. Again, no
sadness! Just Beta Sigma Phi sisters who loved each other, & 4 of us
that truely admired, & were inspired by Linda's optimism.

Even the evening before she passed away, as I sat holding her hand at
her bedside, in the hospital, Linda had some things she wanted to
share. I quickly told Linda to save her energy, & not to talk. Linda
persisted on sharing some of her special thoughts, & then she asked me
to pray with her. I prayed for several minutes, then raised my head.

She was wearing one her cute little caps on her head for warmth. The
blinds were partly closed, but it wasn't dark yet, so I could clearly
see Linda's face & eyes, in spite of her oxygen mask. Her eyes still
seemed so full of love & life, as I sat looking into them. I began
singing a little hymn to Linda.

I left her room that night feeling blessed for knowing such an
amazing, loving, giving, & optimistic, woman. God had given Linda a
real sense of inner peace. She hadn't wasted a minute of the past 3
1/2 year journey. She had prepared herself & her family well. She had
lived these past 3 1/2 years to the fullest, with OPTIMISM laughter, &
love, just like she had lived her entire life.

I feel so blessed to have been a very, very, small part of her journey
here on earth.

I love you Linda!