ForeverMissed
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Linda & Pam 10-10

Share a special moment from Linda's life.

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October 11, 2020
by Pam Pahnke
Philip:  Your mom would be so proud of you and what you have accomplished.  Losing a parent is very hard to deal with;  I lost my Dad when I was 21.  I think of him all the time and always remember what he taught me.  
I am so glad you and I have had some wonderful memories together over the years.  Please reach out if you need to talk, or if you need to hear any wonderful stories about your Mom.  We were best friends, and she has left a huge hole in my heart.  Love you Philip.  Love, Pam
October 11, 2020
by Phil Brandt
You were always my advocate and I didn't understand the complexities of things you dealt with for quite some time, but so much of the good in me came from things you taught me.  There was so much support and love and I always knew I had someone to lean on and who would have my back in any capacity.  I'll always love and miss you.

We were meant to be together but time ran out

April 13, 2013
by Jeff Gay

Hi Philip

I have to start with the first time I met your Mom was 1986 at Greentree Toyota dealership n Danbury CT.Like everyone who had the privilege to meet Linda  I saw a very special person through her eyes.We became very close friends over 4-5 yrs
and  you may remember coming to Newtown theatre to watch me in the Nutcracker You spoke from your seat "hey thats jeff" Your Mom and I laughed about that.At that time in our lives we could not make a total commitment to each other but we understood that deep inside we belonged together.There's  a song lyric "She wanted to be an actress and I wanted to learn to fly"Your Mom was talented and beautiful enough to be a STAR and as far as we all are concerned she is a STAR in Heaven..
Last time I saw her was her birthday 1992 I gve her a white Teddy Bear (hope she kept it).So after all these years thinking about Linda  something happened to  make me wonder how shes doing.Think it was about the time, November that she past, I woke up to someone kissing my cheek.At first I thought I was dreaming the second kiss was so real  I could see her face and blond hair
Then I found this site Made me cry.
Shes here wih you still and we all will eventually get to see her again.

God Bless Linda
Philip Great to see you grew to a very nice son
Your Mom treasured you
Keep the Faith

Jeff

In the beginning

February 11, 2013
by dinah dewberry
Philip, did you know: perry como was the very first love your mom had? He had a 30 minute variety tv show that captivated your mom's attention once a week. Mind you that was before she was old enough to go to school! She would pull up a chair right next to the tv and sing alog. Loudly. Pennies from Heaven was her favorite song. In high school she performed Aretha's"RESPECT" until I swear linda thought she WAS Aretha! Childhood nickname was "cookie" because she could not stay out of the cookie jar. Our brother, Don, took many a punishment for missing cookies for her! You may not remember but I had to fight her to let you have a cookie instead of yogurt when you were a toddler - even when she was eating a cookie! Linda hoped to prevent your becoming a cookie addict! Speaking of sweets: one time in late 70's we were supposed to eat lunch together at her duplex. We both worked for attorneys at the time. I got to her place first - she got stuck at work. Finally she called me -no cells then!-saying for me to help myself to anything I could find to eat as my lunch hour was up. There was a whole pan of brownies on top of her stove, so I packed up half and returned to my job. I remembered a couple with little kids was coming in - so brownies seemed like a good thing...except your mom's brownies turned out to be the ones with a secret ingredient!!! My employers were not happy! The kiddies were though! Your mom taught me - the older sister - many things! She had a huge capacity for love and was generous almost to a fault. She loved life and was fearless about living life. Linda was not her illness. Linda was sweet - like her favorite toll house cookies - and giving. More than anything she loved you, Philip. Even when things were difficult between you two. Yes, she talked with me a lot about you. in some ways i was more of a mother than a sister to Linda. Maybe someday if you want we can talk about that. Her illness made her afraid of losing your love. She was afraid I was going to tell you something about her that would make you stop loving her. As if! The reality is your mom - when not ill- would have given her life to save you from any hurt or harm. Always remember linda as linda - not as her illness, that was a sad and difficult part of her life - but was not her. Linda, my sweet cookie of a sister, is alive for me in every upbeat quirky song I hear, in every wave that rolls onto the shore, with every bread thrown out to a duck - she is alive in you, Philip. Honor her by honoring yourself - live mindfully and fully. Love completely and fearlessly. Always do your best in whatever you attempt in your life. That is all any one can do. No more and no less. Try to be content. Always know you were and are loved Love, Aunt Dinah PS - you owe me a haircut - I have not forgotten the toy car you put in my hair while the wheels were rotating quickly! Lol.

Forever friends

November 10, 2011
by Pam Pahnke

I first met Linda back in the 70's in Hawaii. I was cocktailing part time.  Linda applied for a cocktail job and told the manager that she had prior experience.  Her first night , the place was sold out, as it was the last night of a very popular Hawaiian group, who were getting ready to go on tour.  Another waitress had called in sick, so it was just Linda and I.  Then she tells me that she never had really worked cocktails before; her whole experience was working at a bar in Texas, once or twice, serving beer.  To make a long story short, the evening was a nightmare for her.  She had so many drinks lined up on the bar,and had no idea where they went..  It was great for me, as I took over most of her tables and mine, and made a lot of money that night.  Somehow the manager didn't fire her,(does that surprise you?);  and from that moment on, we clicked.  We became roommates in Hawaii for a few years, and stayed in touch since.  Either she would come visit in California, or I would go see her in New York and  Connecticut.  I saw her son, Phlip, (the love of her life) grow  up.  We went back to Hawaii last Oct, for a reunion trip; and she just came to see me in San Diego in August.  We talked about going to Hawaii again. I am so sad; and still cannot believe it.  We had many years of fun and adventures; and I thought they would last forever.  She was a forever friend.  Love and aloha, Pam

Reflections of the Joys of having Linda in my life

November 10, 2011
by Paula Shoushani

 

Each time I come to put words together, I am so totally overwhelmed by the sad reality that Linda is no longer an earthbound angel. The gates of Heaven were thrust wide open when they anticipated her coming and they rejoiced in jubilation upon her arrival. I know that she is finally at peace. It’s all who loved her that are suffering now, because we will no longer be graced with her lovely presence!It was actually pure happenstance that Linda even became a part of my life. For this, I will be FOREVER grateful! My daughter, Hannah, was struggling in grammar school in 1998. A mutual friend, who was Linda’s neighbor, at that time, suggested that perhaps Linda could help, by tutoring Hannah. It was a wondrous meeting and we became friends from that point forward.Linda, was such a loving, kind, patient and caring soul! She was attentive to all of Hannah’s needs and Hannah thrived in leaps and bounds under her loving guidance. She was a nurturer and exuded such a tremendous amount of love. She was able to build up Hannah’s badly bruised self-esteem and made sure that Hannah knew that she was a very special, capable human being. Linda was like my right hand, she was able to get Hannah to see, that all the time I was telling her to believe in herself, she just needed to have that affirmed by Linda’s voice. Having her guiding Hannah was such a tremendous gift.Anyone who was fortunate enough to have been able to call Linda a friend, is truly blessed. Linda was always one to champion for another. She was a no nonsense, take the bull by the horns type of gal. I loved her zest for life and her wonderful sense of zeal. Her enthusiasm was contagious! You could never be in her company and not become energized. She was like the “Energizer” bunny.I choose to believe that Linda will forever make herself known, whether it is a gentle breeze rustling through the trees, or the song of the birds, these will now be her voice saying “I am never that far away.”Rest in peace Sweet Linda! I will hold you in my heart forever. You have made the lives of so many, so much richer for having had the good fortune of being a part of your wonderful world.

Friend out of No Where

November 10, 2011
by Denise Culmer-Sims

Linda and I were not close in school.  We did not run in the same circles.  However, once on FaceBook we really got to know each other and understood what the other one went through on a daily basis.  As Deb said, Linda suffered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and I have RA so we both could have some really horrible days. 

Linda sent me a copy of the Devotional book Deb referred to and I cannot remember how many times one or the other of us would call the other and say...     "Did you read todays??"   That's just the kind of sweet, unselfish person she was (I can't believe I am saying "was").

On my 59th birthday she sent me the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen (from McShan's of course).  The previous year I had gone to California and spent the big event with my daughter.  She had planned it all out so perfectly that it was something that could never be topped.  Linda knew I was feeling blue about this one,  So I get flowers from Linda when I know she could no more afford them than I could!  But again, that was her generous soul showing.

Linda, I had been thinking about you so much lately. I just wish I had called. Now I will never have that chance.  Why did I wait?  I will always love you and your kindness you showed me. 

 

Fun Times

November 9, 2011
by Deb Daniel

This was my last visit to Danbury in Oct, 2009! We were wanting a pic. so we were coming down this guys driveway and he saw us and invited us to take our pic. on his back deck!

Old Pics

November 9, 2011
by Deb Daniel

These are some pic's from the 70's, 80's & 90's!

Terms of Endearment

November 9, 2011
by Deb Daniel

We decided to go see the movie Terms of Endearment when Linda was pregnant w/Philip and I had just had Lindsay (they are 3 mo's apart). So we barely survived sitting through this movie we were crying so loud and everyone was looking at us. That will always be "our" movie! With Linda there were always stories! We couldn't go anywhere without something funny happening. She was known to always have so much luggage and bags everywhere she went that it looked like she was moving! We have those stories that you could only share together and take to your grave, Now I'm alone with those memories! The pictures posted were from the 70's, 80's, 90's & current. I will always think of her watching movies like "Beaches" "Thelma & Louise" and even "Lucy and Ethel". We had a little bit of all those together. When we were in NYC in Oct., 2009 we were so tired we blew off going to the broadway show and walked into the "Rum House" for a quiet moment and escape and that's when some young guys wanted to come talk and buy us drinks. We just looked at each other and cracked up because she had chronic fatique and I have fibromyalgia and no one could see how we really felt. Those are the things we understood about each other. We shared the same birthday, her being 1 yr. older (yes Linda, I'll still rub it in)! We went through a lot together including her getting one of my dogs puppies when we were neighbors, weddings, babies, divorces, loss of siblings and parents and we shared the same daily devotional which on the day of her death, the last sentence says ~ I will bless you with peace~,                                             

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