Linda Lee Gizel passed away at age 70, on April 7th, 2022. Linda struggled bravely with Alzheimer’s but ultimately succumbed to complex health complications.
Known affectionately as “Lyn”, she was born September 4th, 1951, in Cook County, Illinois. The oldest of four children of the Osgood family, she graduated from West Leyden High School in 1969 She went on to work for Motorola where she met her best friend and future husband, Eugene H. Gizel. Although fate found them eventually separated, they remained close until Eugene’s passing in 2011.
Linda was a strong, stubborn, authentic, beautiful woman, and went on to raise equally strong children. She found the most joy in her life when surrounded by her loved ones. She lived to serve, and her kindness was always given freely to friends and strangers alike. Her family and children meant the most to her, and she told them this every day.
In her free time, Linda enjoyed gardening, devouring Stephen King novels, and watching her favorite shows on television, including Animal Planet, Supernatural, and JTV. Holidays were always special, with Christmas being her favorite time to gather with family and friends. Portillos was one of her favorite spots to grab a bite to eat. She had an affinity for beautiful things, but then Linda could find the beauty in anything. She found immense pleasure in water, having spent summers up north in the wild Wisconsin woods and on Lake John. Some of her family’s most treasured memories involve those summers.
She found comfort in God and her faith, having been raised Catholic/Lutheran, but also believed deeply in the spiritual world, always seeking connections to the universe and its mysteries. Linda always believed there was so much more to life than what we could simply see.
She sang, she danced, she smiled, she laughed, she dreamed, she hoped, she fought and came back again and again. The loss of Linda is felt deeply by all.
She is survived by her four children, the centers of her world, David (49), Joseph (48), Samantha (38), and Jennifer (37), and 15 beloved grandchildren.
At her request, there will be no service. Her ashes will be spread upon the water and among the trees in one of her most cherished spots up north. In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in remembrance (ALZ.org). Oh, thank you so much! It’s just the last line in the last paragraph. I’ve highlighted in below.
At her request, there will be no service. Her ashes will be spread upon the water and among the trees in one of her most cherished spots up north. In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in remembrance (ALZ.org). Her last wish: for people to “remember me always, with love”.
