Stephen's Blog

My tribute to Linda

I met Linda when she came to Greystones and worked in Carraig Eden Guest House. She was head cook and housekeeper, now she would be called chef and head of house. We went to the youth club (Your Club) with lots of our friends who are probably watching the live stream. Linda fancied me way before I noticed her intensions, so I dated someone else for 3 years that really upset Linda. Eventually I realised my mistake and we started dating for a few years before I asked her to marry me. Her parents had died when Linda was young so I didn’t ask anyone but Linda. Our engagement had a rough start, I told a parent of someone in the youth club and asked them not to tell anyone, but they told their daughter and then the whole youth club knew. This was before my parents knew and before our engagement was in the Irish times, which was the official way of announcing to the world the good news. Second disaster was when I burnt my hand with boiling oil from a burning frying pan. I was in a sling for months. We drove to Passage Ease in Wexford for an engagement party and we had three in the front one straddling the gear stick and I steered with one hand and they changed gear. Also we had four in the back. Road safety how are you. We got married on the 25th May 1985 here in Hillside Church. I married the most beautiful bride and I even cut my long red hair for the wedding. (Matthew doesn’t believe me) Lance preached and we had the verse of “a cords of three strands is not easily broken”. All our married life we have had the third strand working in our lives. The third strand is the Lord Jesus Christ. We were both followers of Jesus Christ and have served him as a couple since the first day we met. I used to run youth clubs every Saturday afternoon and evenings in the early years and Linda supported me in the work. We started with Jesus being the most important aspect of our lives. His saving grace has impacted our lives and has made us a team that strives to share His love with as many people as possible. We had the wedding reception in Carrick Eden but no dancing in those days so we left for a honeymoon in Scotland after the meal. Another disaster in Scotland was a B&B we stayed in. Our room smelt strange and we couldn’t work it out, but at breakfast there was cat hairs in the milk and it all became clear, we left that one very quick. We stayed in a castle for one night and had a four-poster bed (very posh) but it was a little strange because we had to eat with the owner and his family for dinner. No footsy under the table that night. We ran out of money so had to come home a day early. No ATM’s back then. First came Jason. Linda was really sick in the pregnancy and had to stay in hospital at one point. The birth was so exciting, we didn’t have scans in those days so the baby’s sex was unknown. I got into trouble that day as well, I went to the chipper and got a burger and brought it back to the labour ward and ate it as Linda was having contractions. She must have loved me because she stayed with me. We then had Hannah who had Edwards syndrome and she lived 6 months. What a rough road but the Lord helped us through. Linda visited Hannah in hospital twice a day and I joined her in the evening visit after work. The wider church was great, and Linda had a lift every day. Terry Price was a great support over those months. Next came Matthew, because Hannah was no small at birth, Linda prayed for a big baby. He came in at 10 pounds 2 oz. the Lord answered her pray with extravagance!!! Matthew turned his weight into height as you can see today. Linda loved her art and with the “other Linda” they did all sorts of stuff. After school kids’ art lessons, Dried flower arranging, card making and went to art lessons and much more. Linda loved to serve others and did a lot of wedding flowers and wedding cakes for family and friends. Someone commented recently “who’s going to organise my wedding now”. Recently she took up oil painting more seriously and was about to sell commercially until the cancer struck. Her paintings are hanging on the walls here today. We loved caravanning together and the kids had great holidays in west cork most summers. Eric and Donna and their kids became best friends and we spent most holidays together and still do. We moved on to campervanning once the kids left home and we have had some crazy adventures together. No road was too narrow for us to explore. We only got stuck once thank goodness. We loved parking at light houses and as near the sea as possible. We parked on a beach once. Linda server in the church here as catering supervisor for years and we had many BBQ’s and meals as a church with here help. (with lots of other helpers, I might add). Linda taught in Sunday school and loved the church kids and they loved her back. Linda went to Irish Bible Institute in 2014 and got a “BA (Hons) degree in Applied Theology”. She put this to good use and ran a youth bible study and impacted many young people with the word of God. Linda worked with shoe boxes and went to deliver them in Eastern Europe one year. Thank you for all your support for Team Hope who organise the shoe box project. As a church we supported a mission in Peru that works with young kids that have very little. It’s a breakfast club where the kids are fed and given general hygiene help and also the good news of Jesus is shared. We ran a “Paddington bear breakfast“(because Paddington came from deepest darkest Peru) to raise funds for the kids, we served tea and toast and definitely marmalade and took donations. One year we were privileged to visit the mission and see the work firsthand. My son Matthew was a big hit because he was so tall compared to the kids and even the adults who are on the short size. I had a heart attack 15 years ago and Linda thought she was going to lose me. I remember traveling from Loughlinstown Hospital to St. Vincent’s in an ambulance and thinking I wouldn’t make it and feeling at peace that I knew I had a secure place in heaven because of Jesus giving me forgiveness of sins through his death on the cross but then thought I’d be leaving Linda and the kids with no husband or dad and I cried out to the Lord to leave me here a little longer. Linda was so relieved when I pulled though. We made the most of those 15 year and I’m so glad we did. Linda took up a job in Smyly Homes Services, a home to help teens that have gone off the rails. Her first boss said she just had to key in a few figures, and she’d be fine. She helped run the payroll, enter accounts (Debits and Credits, which way round do they go!!!), produce policies and procedure and help produce their annual report and lots more. It was a time when Linda would ring and say, “Steve how do you do dot dot dot.” I think they employed both of us and I got a lot of IT calls from her. I’ll miss those calls. Linda so loved the grandchildren and could wait to visit London as often as she could. The girls melted our hearts and anyone with grandkids knows the feeling. Theo-Jo was born during Linda illness but was introduced to her in the ICU at St. Vincent’s before she died. Any future grandkids will know her thought the memories we talk about and share together. I know Linda has had a deep impact on so many many people, some I know and some I don’t know. Linda always felt privileged to serve her heavenly father and to bring Him all the glory and praise. My beloved, I’ll miss you. Enjoy your new adventure in heaven with your Lord and Saviour.