Although the obvious feeling is to mourn Linda's passing, please instead celebrate her life, give thanks for the life that she lived, and for all that her life meant to us, and wish her a fond farewell, now that our time with her is over. In truth, though, Linda quite simply wouldn’t want you to be sad for even one day while thinking of her untimely death on the 24th July, 2017, at the age of only fifty six; for Linda’s story is a truly remarkable one.
Although she was shocked by her diagnosis of a brain tumour in January, 2016, she decided, first of all, to embrace all the treatment that the medical profession had to offer, telling them to ‘bring it on!’ Linda then decided, together with Stephen, to live each day as it came, to remain positive, and to do all the things they enjoyed doing together. It didn’t matter whether it was a walk on the beach in Eyemouth which was one of her favourite places to be, going out for lunch, doing things with her family or even enduring a long journey by car to France, to enjoy a holiday.
Everything she did was with complete positivity and with a strength and determination that few people would find if faced with the same set of circumstances. Throughout all the rigorous treatment she went through, Linda’s only real concern was for her family and close friends. Her upbeat attitude filtered through everyone, creating an invisible thread between each of her loved ones, allowing them to be caught up in her strength and her love.
During her treatment, both Linda and Stephen became involved with John, a Reiki Master from Selkirk, and he was instrumental in them both embracing the benefits of ReiKi which helped to reduce stress, promote relaxation and healing. Linda then began to visualise a golden bubble around her each time she went for treatment, which helped to alleviate her fears, and it would be lovely to think that she is floating on her golden bubble today. Thank you, John, for your expertise and support.
Linda spent a lot of time at the Marie Curie Hospice and was well known and much loved by the staff who were involved in her care. It was to them that Linda confided her wishes for her funeral, including all the music you will hear today, and was quite indignant about the fact that she wanted no fuss.
But how could you not make a fuss over Linda? Her warmth, her love, her positivity, and yes, even her whacky ideas, are what made Linda so special, and so loved by everyone who knew her.
If visualisation helped Linda to cope, then perhaps you should visualise this – Linda lying comfortably in her bed in a bright and airy room, on a warm summer’s day with the sun filtering through the windows and with a light breeze blowing the curtains, the room filled with love as Stephen lay on a bed beside her holding her hand, and with Andrew and Laura beside her too, then know and be comforted by knowing that Linda’s final day was as beautiful as she was, and hopefully you will be able to cope, just as she did.
Remembering Linda …
And so we celebrate Linda’s life, a life which began in Edinburgh on the 26th August, 1960. She was the middle child of three children born to David and Irene Murray, having an older brother, David, and a younger brother, Robert. Sadly, Robert passed away ten years ago.
Linda’s childhood was a very happy one, with her brothers playing the usual boyhood pranks on their sister, such as locking her in the broom cupboard every now and again. She often spoke of her happy memories of family holidays spent down the East coast in Eyemouth and Coldingham, and her love of Eyemouth remained with her for the rest of her life.
Her first job was working in the offices of Lothian Region Transport in Queen Street – a job she secured with a little bit of help from her Dad who was worked in the Annandale Street depot. Linda loved this job – or, at least, she enjoyed the pub lunches with her colleagues. One of her duties, though, was to don a tartan mini skirt and sell tickets for bus tours to unsuspecting passengers on the train coming up from Berwick. As you can imagine, this suited not only Linda’s outgoing personality, but at the time it also suited her Farah Fawcett Majors’ hairstyle too!
In time Linda became the most proud, loving, devoted and loyal mother to her two wonderful children, Andrew and Laura. She worked tirelessly to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table – even if it meant making as many variations of soup as possible! When a household bill appeared through the letterbox or if there was anything Andrew or Laura particularly needed or wanted, Linda thought nothing of taking part in a car boot sale to earn some extra pennies to help her through some challenging times.
A few different jobs came and went until she found her calling – working in any job related to caring for other people. But Linda knew that if she wanted to create a long term secure environment for her children then she had to gain some qualifications which would enable her to advance in her chosen career.
Going to college was a wise choice for two reasons – not only did she gain the necessary qualifications she needed, but she also met her best friend, Debbie – someone she would not only share holidays with, but also her wonderfully creative and whacky ideas for making money!
After she qualified, Linda applied for her dream job working in the John Chant Centre in Penicuik and at Cherry Road in Bonnyrigg where she worked as a carer for adults with special needs. She had a soft spot for George, who loved to read super hero comics, but who wasn’t very keen on communicating with people. However, Linda found out quite by chance that George loved ponies and he would spend a lot of time chatting to them in a way he would never talk to people.
No matter how she did it, Linda always brought out the best in people. Well, perhaps apart from the time she decided to close the tuck shop at work to stop everyone eating mars bars and drinking juice and opened a smoothie bar instead! That didn’t go down too well at first and she convinced herself that everyone at work hated her, but it did work out well in the end!
Now the week before her fortieth birthday, Linda met the man who was going to change her life forever. She and Stephen shared their first date in the Balmoral Hotel on the 19th August, 2000. It must have been love at first sight for them both as, only a few weeks later while on holiday with Debbie, Linda confided in her that Stephen was the man she was going to marry!
In November, 2000, Stephen took her on a trip to Paris and the rest, as they say, is history. Andrew and Laura met Stephen’s two children, David and Kate, and Stephen then vowed to take care of Linda for the rest of her life as they married in The Scotsman in November, 2003.
And just when Linda thought her life couldn’t be any happier, she and Stephen were embracing the role of grandparents to Kate’s two children, Ollie and Amelie, to Laura’s son, Mason, and to Andrew’s two children, Rory and baby Hallie. Linda was the ultimate doting grandmother!
Linda’s life with Stephen was full of fun, happiness and endless adventures. They visited so many countries together either through Stephen’s work or because of holidays they had arranged on their own. Milan, Paris, Brussels, Portugal, there are so many wonderful photographs of all the memories they created together. In 2003, they moved to France, where they lived for a few years. Of course, initially, Linda didn’t speak French too well, but she was always able to make herself understood.
For instance, going to a local market one morning to buy eggs for breakfast, she didn’t know the word for eggs, and so she simply squatted down, said a few ‘cluck clucks’ and everyone knew what she meant!
During her time in France, Linda was a member of the British Commonwealth Women’s Association where she met and made friends with so many interesting people.
Because of her love of, and childhood connection to Eyemouth, Stephen bought a lovely flat overlooking the harbour there, and Eyemouth remained the most favourite place to be. Linda loved beach combing with Debbie, gathering driftwood and sand polished stones and together they would make all sorts of wonderful crazy things – even managing to make Christmas trees out of driftwood.
Linda loved a bargain, and could spend hours visiting lots of charity shops. She could always spot a quality bargain and would buy things for Debbie’s Mum and for the grandchildren – even although some items of clothing will need to be stored away until they are about ten years older! It’s probably true to say that her favourite shop, TK Max, will now have a sudden dip in their takings, too. Her careful management of money from her years as a single parent never really left her.
Linda just loved life and embraced everything that came her way – whether it was chalk painting, card making or socialising with friends and family. She loved going out to dinner, to lunch or for high teas, even although she really enjoyed cooking herself, always trying to create interesting food to keep Stephen healthy!
Family occasions meant everything to her but she particularly enjoyed Stephen’s fiftieth birthday gifts of a cruise in a yacht on the Clyde, and a trip to Toronto where Stephen had lived in the 1990's.
Linda made the most of every minute she shared with you all. Her kind and caring nature meant that she made so many wonderful friends – too many to mention individually, but you will all know who you are. With her generous heart, it was difficult not to be friends with Linda – she loved everyone and it is obvious that everyone loved her right back.
A great listener, Linda had the capacity to make the biggest of problems seem insignificant, and to provide a caring and positive approach to everyone who needed her advice.
There can be no doubt that Linda will be remembered by so many people for so many different reasons. To those who knew her well, it will be her love and pride in her children and grandchildren – she has been such a fantastic role model to them all; for her family, it will be her undying love and devotion to Stephen, and she surely should have been so proud of herself in her role as a single Mum and providing the tools her children needed to become wonderful parents themselves.
Linda always managed to pass on some words of wisdom, and as she and Stephen moved house eleven times in seventeen years, her secret to a successful house move was – copious amounts of Ikea bags!
Rest well, Linda, sweet dreams.
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