"Janice Eide and James Lowry"
In loving memory of
Linda Marie Eide
December 31, 1969 - December 31, 1969
I was born on February 21, 1941 in Seattle, WA. I attended Loyal Heights Elementary, James Monroe Junior High, and graduated from Ballard High School where I was an officer in the Girl?s Club and active in the Ski Club. We were very lucky growing up because my Grandma and Grandpa Hegge had a summer cabin in Juanita on Lake Washington. We all spent the summers there swimming and having all sizes and kinds of boats to keep us busy. ?The beach? was filled with cousins. What fun we had! Our mothers and fathers had grown up there and now our own children had the same good times at Juanita. All of us developed a love for boats and water.
After graduating from Ballard High in 1959, I attended Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. In the summer of 1960, after my freshman year at PLU, I was lucky to have my Grandma Marie take me to Norway. We traveled across the country to New York by train and then boarded the ?Oslofjord.? We spent 5 days crossing the Atlantic and ended up in Bergen. We stayed on the boat and went north to North Cape where we climbed to the viewing area to see the Midnight Sun on June 21. It was cloudy that night so the image was not spectacular. We traveled by ship back down to Bergen, stopping many times to explore towns along the way. We left the ?Oslofjord? in Bergen and now traveled by bus, trains and cars. We spent most of the summer in Norway. I got a chance to meet all of Grandma?s brothers, sisters and other family members. I also met some of my dad?s family because so many of them lived not far from each other. We spent time in all of the big cities and did a lot of sightseeing.
I had a wonderful grandmother and the times we spent together were very special to me. We had a great time on our summer adventure. We ended up in Oslo where we took a plane to Copenhagen, Denmark. We stayed there a couple of days and then headed for home. We flew home in a propeller plane. We had a refueling stop in Greenland and another in Winnipeg, Canada. Our plane landed in Los Angeles after 22 ? hours. How plane travel has changed! Grandma was such a good sport ? she decided since we were in Los Angeles and I had never been there before, that we should see Disneyland. After flying for 22 ? hours we walked Disneyland for a day. She just laughed and said her bunions would never be the same. What a summer we had building memories together. I?ll never forget how much fun we had!
I returned to PLU full of stories from the summer in Norway. In May of 1963, I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education. I signed my first contract for $4850 a year to begin teaching third grade at Forest Crest Elementary in the Edmonds School District the following school year. That summer I worked for the City of Mountlake Terrace Recreation Department where I ran a summer recreation program for the neighborhood kids. We had all kinds of sports, crafts, and special programs for the kids at a local school.
In the fall of 1963, I began my teaching career. I loved my third graders. I had a new principal and several other new teachers starting with me. Our faculty was great and we had a lot of fun. We were like a close-knit family.
In April of 1966, Betty Susanj, another third grade teacher next door to me, decided she had someone she wanted me to meet. Betty and her husband Chuck set me up on a blind date with Gary, who was the son of some friends. They took us to dinner at the Lake City Elks Club. Our date was a big success! We found we had so much in common. Gary was working as the engineer on a tug boat at the time and leaving for Alaska shortly. His departure kept getting put off and we went out every night for seven weeks before he finally left in June. We had so much fun. I had already made plans to spend the summer in Hawaii with some teacher friends before I met Gary. Gary left for Alaska on the day after school was out for the summer. We were supposed to be working that day cleaning up our classrooms, but Dean Hillhouse, my principal, sent me down to the Edmonds waterfront to watch Gary?s tug go by. I waved to Gary, but of course he didn?t know I was there.
My friends and I did go to Hawaii for the summer. We rented an apartment in Waikiki and they took classes at the University of Hawaii while I got a job selling shoes at a store in the lobby of the Reef Towers Hotel. I sold a lot of sandals that summer. Gary continued on the tugboat up and down the west coast from California to Alaska. I started the school year in the fall and in November Gary had a run towing 1, 800, 000 gallons of aircraft fuel from California to Hawaii. The 13 day crossing was smooth, but after getting to Honolulu they had to go in circles outside the harbor because of large swells. The temperature was hot inside the engine room of the steel boat and the crew was anxiously waiting to unload the barges of fuel. Gary decided he had had enough and told them he was leaving as soon as he got to shore. He flew home about Thanksgiving time. We got engaged and he went back to work for Rental Machinery as a mechanic.
We got married the following February 18, 1967 at Crown Lutheran Church in Seattle, WA, which was my family church. My students were very excited about being invited to the wedding. Some of them borrowed clothes so they would look nice. ?My kids? were seated directly behind the family section. I continued teaching third grade and Gary continued at Rental Machinery. We lived in an apartment in Ballard. We started looking at houses and decided we had to save a lot of money. We couldn?t find a house we liked so we decided we would build one. We found a nice view lot in Kenmore that looked all the way down Lake Washington. We saved our money and in 1971 we were having our dream house built. Gary?s dad Gus was a carpenter and was working on our house, so we knew we had a reliable quality control person on site. We moved into our new house over Easter vacation in 1971. I shortly became pregnant with our first child, Erik Martin, who was born on February 9, 1972. By this time I had taught for nine years and Gary was doing well enough that I was able to quit teaching and become a stay-at-home mom. Sixteen months later, on June 20, 1973, Janice Marie was born. The following year Gary and his partners started their new business ? Alpine Equipment Rentals.
Erik attended a good neighborhood pre-school. The director talked me into being a teacher there the year Janice started the same pre-school. Erik was in a ? day kindergarten class in the morning and then got to come back to pre-school for the afternoon. He loved it. I taught pre-school there for two years.
I was a very active member of the PTA at Kenmore Elementary. Our kids were very busy with sports, Scouts and music. They played sports in every season ? soccer, basketball, skiing, baseball, and softball. Erik and Janice moved on to Kenmore Junior High and continued with all the Scout activities and sports. I continued my PTA work and was awarded the Golden Acorn Award for my service to the school. Gary and I enjoyed watching our children grow up. Erik became an Eagle Scout at the age of 14 and Janice was playing several instruments along with her sports.
Erik and Janice moved on to Inglemoor High School. Erik was on the varsity tennis team and Janice was in the school marching band in the fall playing her piccolo, and in the wind symphony for the rest of the year playing her flute. The band went to Orlando, Florida to compete in a national competition and came home with huge first place trophies. I continued working on PTA projects and stayed involved. I helped plan 9th grade parties as well as senior parties. We had a ?core group? that had worked together since kindergarten. We were a dependable group that had a lot of fun and enjoyed working together.
After both of the kids had gone away to school at the University of Puget Sound, in Tacoma, WA, Gary and I became active in the Seattle Yacht Club. I worked on a lot of committees and served as Secretary of the Women?s Group. I have chaired many of the Women?s Group committees such as Women?s Interclub, Dinghy Group, and May Cruise. Gary and I also help with Special People?s Cruise and work hard on the Opening Day of Boating Season celebration. Gary has been ?Dockmaster? and I have been in charge of food for all of the receptions, dinners, VIP boats, and breakfast for Opening Day for the past 9 years. It has been a lot of work but very rewarding. We have worked with a lot of great people.
My favorite times are the summers we spend cruising on our 44 foot Tollycraft, the ?Lucky Lady.? I also enjoy cruising the Caribbean and Panama Canal on Princess Cruise ships. I thoroughly enjoy relaxing at our townhouse on Lake Chjelan. As we spend summers on our boat, we like to use Lake Chelan as our winter get-away.
Further trends brought Gary and me to Arizona over the last few years and I fell in love with the area and its many attractions. We furnished and moved into our new winter home in Gilbert several months ago. I have thoroughly enjoyed hosting numerous parties with family and friends in our new home. We have spent countless hours around the fire pit and in the hot tub basking in the warmth of good friends, wonderful family, and the Arizona sunshine.
Tributes
"Janice Eide and James Lowry"
"Erik, Jeanette and Kama"
"Janice for my momma"
"Words are not adequate to describe how sorry we are to learn of Lindas passing. The memory we will always have of Linda is her love of life and how much her family meant to her. Her husband and children were blessed to have such a caring Wife and Mother and she is proud of them to this day."
"Donna and I wish to extend our most sincery sympathy to Annie, Gary and the entire family for the loss of your beloved. We wish you strength and hope during the coming weeks as you mourn your loss."
"We are so sorry that Linda has lost her courageous battle, but realize that she found peace &a final end to her pain. Much Love. Bill & Jan Freitag"
"Dearest Linda, I will miss your bright smile,warm personality and generous spirit. I know those qualities live on in Eric and Janice as you were a wonderful Mother. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Gary, Eric, Janice and Auntie Annie. All my love, Marge"
"The thing that I will always remember and love best about Linda is not that she made the word's best oatmeal cookies though she absolutely did!, but that she always remembered they were my favorite and would be sure to have some handy when she knew she would be seeing me. A lot of people in this world don't take the time to do those kinds of little things any more and it's those small kindnesses that can make a lasting impression. The world has lost a special soul with Linda's passing. My thoughts and prayers are with Janice and the whole family."
"Gary, Erik and Janice I'm praying for all of you. It is hard to say goodbye to those we love, but I'm sure she is in a better place now, and out of her suffering. I have enjoyed knowing all of you over the years, and have some wonderful memories of your family."
"Gary, Janice, Erik and family, We were so saddened to read the funeral notice in the "Seattle Times" today. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this time. How dearly we remember those wonderful days of baseball, scouting, PTA and school activities. Janice was the prettiest angel in the Christmas pagent at church! We simply send our love. Woody and Ilene Hertzog and family"
"I knew Linda at PLU as we lived in the same dorm West and were both Education majors. I remember her for her wonderful sense of humor and caring nature. She had the warmest laugh and a beautiful twinkle in her eyes. I was saddened to read of her death in the Seattle Times. My deepest sympathy is extended to her entire family."
"Gary- We are deeply saddened to hear of the loss of your wife during these very special years of our lives"
"Both of our families children grew up together experiencing the love of boating. We fondly remember their first cruise on their boat beyond Seattle and into Desolation Sound that we finally convinced them to do. We were on our boat and Tolly himself was on his boat. Our 3 boats cruised together for several weeks. Linda was now hooked on boating and loved contributing her time and effort for her yacht club. She was a wonderful person with always a good attitude, no matter what. She will not be forgotten."
"With our very deepest sympathy for your loss..Our thoughts are with all of the family. It was a pleasure knowing Linda. Irene & Ike"
"Dear family of Miss Sather: I just learned of Miss Sather's death the other day and wanted to send a note to let you know how much I enjoyed her class at Forest Crest Elementary School in 1964-65. She was a fabulous teacher! In addition to remembering the usual moments of learning in a classroom, I remember a few things about Miss Sather, such as she was the first person I ever remember wearing contact lenses when she was having problems with one she would pop it in her mouth, suck on it for a while, then put it back in her eye!, and also I thought it was so cool that she drove an MG sports car! She read wonderful books to us, such as Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and also The Wind in the Willows. Learning cursive handwriting was so important to me, and I'll never forget that she was teacher who taught me that important skill. I send my heartfelt condolences. Linda Long"
"I have lost a dear friend. Linda was greatly loved and will be sorely missed."
"I was so saddened to hear that Linda passed away. I last saw her up in LaConner with Gary, enjoying their boat, docked next to us. But I remember her most from the days I had Eric and Janice in Arrowhead Inglemoor Preschool in Kenmore. I remember her ready laughter, her willingness to help whenever needed, her great love for all children, but especially for her own two sweet little towheads. I send my love and deepest sympathy to each of you: Gary, Eric & Janice. May God bless you and bring you comfort in the days ahead. Love, Fran Clapper"
"Linda's positive outlook before and during her illness was an inspiration to all of us. How fortunate she was able to live her life with such love surrounding her, from both family and friends. She enriched our lives and we will miss that wonderful smile and laugh."
"I first knew Linda as a mother as I was privileged to teach both Janice and Erik in first grade. They reflected a warm and loving home environment, and were wonderful students as she was a devoted school mother. As the years went by, I came to know her as a friend and we never lost contact, even after I retired and moved away. Every year I looked forward to receiving her personal letter at Christmas time as she detailed the events of the family life. I have material memories of her as she did the most beautiful ceramics; the ones she did for me go with me wherever I live. My favorite is a small lighted Christmas tree and I love telling friends of its origin. Linda, its light and beauty will always represent your life to me as you live in the hearts of all of those whose lives you touched."
"Dear Gary, Eric and Janice, Just want to take a moment to remind you how wonderful your wife and mother was to all of us. Having grown up in a all boy environment, I was thrilled when Gary and Linda married to finally have another girl cousin. Having her also be a teacher was another plus! We talked of classrooms and how schools had changed when we got together. She was also an amazing mother. Your accomplishments today have their foundation in her efforts when you were young. Gary, I am so glad you had these years with Linda and that she became such a great part of our family. Memories of Linda will be kept in our hearts forever. Linda & Nick Malarchik and family"
"We were very sorry to hear of Linda's passing away. Our thoughts are with you in your sorrow. We also bring you greatings from the Saether family at Aure. All the best from Astrid and Olav."
"Dear Gary, Janice & Erik, What do you say when someone as special as Linda leaves us? What card could possibly cover all the feelings that you feel? I wanted to take some time after her death to try to put into words the extraordinary woman she was and how very fortunate I was to have known her. I read somewhere that the definition of a true lady or gentleman is a person who always acts as if they are in the presence of God. I think that would describe Linda. The reason I say that was because there was always a circle of "calm" around her. She radiated that wherever she was. Even though there may have been turmoil or commotion around her, she was always surrounded with that aura of peace that was simply infectious. Never a loud voice. Never an angry retort. She was the oasis in the desert. She was the homeport you went to from troubled waters. Yet she always managed to get her point across without the hysterics that the rest of us tend to use. She was amazing that way. She was a lady in the truest sense. How appropriate that the boat she so loved was called the "Lucky Lady." On that infamous summer trip where we dragged anchor at Cougar's Cove in Desolation Sound, I will forever remember Linda and myself sitting on each of our back decks waiting for the sun to rise while everyone else was either sleeping or going below to check insurance policies. There we were huddled in the dark with our jackets on looking at the shore. Now I was thinking that shore was getting awfully close again but Linda had this Mona Lisa smile on her face and said, ??Look at the sun rising over the tree line there. Isn??t that just beautiful?? Forget we had dragged anchor! Forget Gary had cut his expensive stern line! Forget every other boat in the harbor was holding nicely, and we were the only ones doing the 3 hour tour at 2 in the morning! Yet here Linda sits looking at the beauty of the sunrise!!! This was fun to her! She was as happy as a clam at high tide. This again goes back to her ??calmness? in the middle of tension. Simply being on the boat was a joy to her but to have this added "adventure" was just the frosting on the cake. I simply cannot think of Linda without picturing her on the ??Lucky Lady? with her trusty can of pop to one side and her book on the other while baking in the sun wearing her shorts. If you ever looked up the word ??heaven? in Linda??s dictionary, this is the picture that would come up. The other image that is always with me about Linda was her smile and laughter. No matter if it was a knee-slapping joke, a sentimental moment or a bit of gossip, she was always focused on whoever was talking, with her eyes dancing and her entire face lit up. In short, she was a very easy person to talk with. She was a good audience who always made you feel that whatever you said was important. That's a very rare trait. In the last few months, most of our friendship was based on the telephone. I so enjoyed talking to her even when she was so very sick. Trying to make lemonade out of lemons was getting difficult towards the end, but I never heard a word of complaint, pity or "why me" out of this very special lady. I will miss our calls, but I'm so glad I did not miss our friendship. I consider myself very, very lucky to have known her. Linda's time was all too short. She had so much to look forward to and so many accomplishments to reflect upon. But, WOW, she packed more into her life than most of us can imagine. A loving daughter, wife, mother, friend - she did it all superbly. How many of us can say that? Linda was a "lucky lady" for having the love of her family and friends, but we are the "lucky friends" who simply got to enjoy being with her. God did bless Linda Eide, but He blessed all of us more by allowing us to know and love her. Her time was too soon. Her time with us too short, but she forever made a lasting imprint on all of us. God??s speed, Linda Eide. May the wind be at your back, a cozy moorage awaiting you, and always room at the dock. I??ll miss my friend. Kathy Schnuckel"