EULOGY:

I stand before you today as the representative of a family suffering the worst grief that it has ever known. While we despair and struggle to understand, we remain united in our desire and our need to pay our respects to our beloved Linda.

Linda, as much as I try, I simply cannot capture with words the depth of my sorrow, nor the bounds of your beauty. But I will give it my best effort.

You were the very essence of compassion, love, selflessness, and motherhood. You are so deeply missed by so many different people - for you were a beautiful Mother, wife, daughter, sister, Aunt, and friend.

Today is our chance to celebrate your life, and to thank you for enriching and brightening OUR lives.

Linda, you were a stunningly beautiful child. Affectionate and precocious - you delighted Mom and Dad. You were the source of their pride, you were their life.

Linda you were a natural born mother. As a little girl you mothered your siblings - feeding us, bathing us, and doting on us in countless other ways. You were my big sister, my wonderful playmate, special friend, and confidant. Your role as the big sister never changed. Through high school, college, and into my married years you were my helper, defender, protector, and biggest promoter -- fiercely proud of me and loyal to a fault.

And I so vividly remember the times when I came home on leave -- our families would spend as much time as possible together. And what wonderful memories I have -- us sitting together in the kitchen or backyard watching our children play together. You delighted in being together and watching our children play together. And so did I! And you continued in your Big Sister role, mothering my children and me. Your house was always open to us, you would feed us, entertain us, and care for us. You profoundly loved your nieces and nephews, and they you.

When you were teaching at the elementary school I remember going to your classroom with lunch for us -- or on some days I would pick you up and we would go out for a quick lunch. I loved to watch you in action with your students.

You were INCREDIBLE. Totally devoted to your students. Your classroom was always the most extravagantly appointed, the walls decorated with your handiwork. You had a special talent and you fully utilized it in the classroom. I remember you having a classroom with three different grades and students that spoke 6 different languages. You ran the classroom like clockwork with not a pencil out of place. It was magical to watch. You were a strict disciplinarian, but your high demands were combined with care and thoughtfulness -- you cared about each individual student - you truly engaged your students and you brought the best out of them. But as much as you enjoyed teaching, when you became a mother there was no question that you would fully devote yourself to motherhood. And you did.

The best testament to your mothering is your children. They are truly unique, beautiful inside and out. You devoted your every living fiber to your children - and they show it. A walk through your house and it is instantly apparent that you relished motherhood. Your house is filled with pictures of you with your children, mementos that the children made, poems celebrating the joy of family, children, and mothering. You approached every day with your children as a new opportunity to nurture them, and did you nurture them! You were on a mission - you knew what you wanted your children to be and you tirelessly worked towards that goal. You delighted in every milestone that your children achieved. You mothered and you enjoyed it as you did it. I can hear you saying " the terrible twos, enjoy it while you can too quickly it will be gone." You never wanted any of your kids "childhood stages" to end. You relished every moment of every stage. And energy, it was dizzying trying to keep up with your daily itinerary. To dance class, to Mommy & Me, to the school bake sale, to the basketball game, to Sunday school, and on and on it went. Linda, your hard work has paid off. Your children are warm, loving, fun, and caring - unique just like you.

And although you are leaving them at such young ages, please do not fret, for what you have so masterfully begun, we will finish.

Linda, your love for your family was apparent to all who knew you. You glowed with pride when talking about your family - your family was your true joy. You were always so warm and generous. You were having the most fun when we were all together - talking, eating, playing, and laughing. I have wonderful memories of our times together. I only wished that you had time for a few more of them. I need that.

In some ways, it's only Now that you are gone that we truly appreciate what we are now without - and life without you borders on unbearable. How I wish that you were here to help me make it through the most difficult time of my life. That you were here to hold me, hug me, and reassure me that it will be OK - THEN I would believe it!

And although you are not here, you should know that you have a multitude of friends who have over the past 5 days nourished us with meals, fortified us with their love, and comforted us with their words.

Linda, your friends have filled your home with food, kindness, and love.

They have come into your house and given us the strength to go on. They have cleaned, washed, cared for your children -- bathed them, dressed them, read to them, rocked them to sleep, and shown them true love in their time of need. They did this silently, behind the scenes, allowing us our much-needed time to grieve. Your friends have shared stories about you that have lifted our hearts, eased our suffering. I cannot begin to express my gratitude. But they don't require it -- for Linda they have done this out of their love for you.

Their outpouring of affection is a tribute to you and the way you lived your life.

As we struggle to move forward, know that we are drawing on the strength and faith that you taught us. It is only the strength of your message, your example that you gave us through your years of living that has made it possible to go on.

Linda you spent your life giving - to your family and friends, your students, and anyone else that you could help. For all of your beauty, inward and outward, you were a bit fragile - vulnerable at heart, almost childlike in your quest to do good, gain acceptance and approval from us. You were far greater than you ever realized. I wish I had taken the time to tell you how special you were, how much I loved you, and how much I need you. I miss you so much, and I will every day for the rest of my life. Your loss is overwhelming - the emptiness that I feel inside is devastating. I need you so much. I depended and relied on you more than you ever knew, more than I ever realized.

Even as you were leaving us you were giving to your children. You had just taken your 4 children to the ice capades - the type of thing you loved to do! And you continued to give as you slipped through our fingers and passed on. You always said that you hoped that when you died your body could help someone else. You always wanted to be a donor and you were.

Our only solace is our faith. As Christians, we know that your loss is only ours, for you are now resting in eternal peace with our Almighty Father. Linda, we feel cheated that you were taken from us so young. And while God granted you but half a life, we know that we must learn to be grateful that you came along at all.

Linda, you did not want to go home. You fought it every inch of the way. The doctors told us that you refused to give up; that you fought more valiantly than anyone they could remember. You did not want to leave your family. Your work was just half finished, but God had other plans for you.

You profoundly loved us, and we are so much better for it.

Linda, we will celebrate your life by the manner in which we live ours.

Above all else, we give thanks for the life of a woman I am proud to call my sister. Linda in the midst of our struggle to find some answer, some explanation, you provided the answer.  For just yesterday we found this poem neatly tucked into the pages of your dream book:

Don't grieve for me,
now I'm free, I'm,
following the path God
laid for me.  I took his
hand when I heard
him call, I turned my
back and left it all.

I could not stay
another day, to laugh,
to love, to work or
play. Tasks left
undone must stay that
way, I found that place
at the close of day.

If my parting has left a
void, then fill it with
remembered joy. A
friendship shared, a
laugh a kiss, ah yes,
these things, I too will
miss.

Be not burdened with
times of sorrow, I wish
you the sunshine of
tomorrow. My life's
been full, I savored
much, good friends,
good times, a loved
one's touch.

Perhaps my time
seemed all too brief,
don't lengthen it now
with undue grief. Lift
up your heart and
share with me, God
wanted me now. He
set me free.

Your beauty, inside and out, will never be extinguished from my memory or my heart. I will forever cherish my memories of you! PLEASE rest in peace sister -- you have worked so hard - you deserve it!!

David K. Dalition

All content contained herein is based upon factual records and/or verifiable information