I am so very sorry and sad for the loss of my big sister Linda.  Linda and I were friends as well as sisters for most of our adult lives.  Because of the 9-year age gap between us, Linda and I didn't have a lot in common when we were young.  She was the big sister who had to hold order amongst the rest of us when our parents were at work, which can't have been easy.  My memories of her at that time are of her telling me to get out of her room!  She was a teenager and I was the pesky little kid!

Linda moved into her own apartment when I was still young, and not too long after that she married Rick and moved to New Jersey.  I didn't see her very much after that until I graduated from high school and spent part of the next summer visiting her and Rick.  I had a wonderful time with them and was very impressed with their new home and how Linda had made everything so beautiful.

Linda and I became very close when I was in my 20's when she and Rick moved to Charlotte.  I worked night shifts and used to visit her in the mornings.  We started to be proper "girlfriends" and would gossip about all the celebrities and the pop stars that we liked!  When I met and married Peter and moved to England for 25 years Linda and I carried on that same relationship through cards and letters and phone calls and our yearly visits.  When I spent many years undergoing orthopedic surgeries and the lengthy recoveries that went along with them, she did all of those things as well as flowers and other little gifts she would send that she thought I might like.

Even as a child I always admired Linda for her great strength and fortitude in dealing with her disability.  She was so very intelligent and had a clever, dry sense of humor that could always make me laugh.  I keep replaying in my mind when I was leaving for England to marry Peter, and she tearfully told him, "Take good care of my baby sister!".  I knew then just how much she loved me, and I loved her every bit as much and will miss her.

My beautiful sister Linda was a "cool" teenager when I was a young girl.  She knew all the latest fashions and makeup and hairstyles and wore them with style.  Her room would be full of music and fab posters and magazines about her teen idols,  Beatles first;  then total devotion to Paul Revere and the Raiders.   Wendy, Carol and I probably got a little annoying underfoot sometimes, but it was such a fun place!  She would have real record parties with her school friends in our basement family room, complete with sodas, snacks and homemade pizza.
As a teenager, she was given responsibility for the house and the three of us when our parents opened Rand's Fabrics.  She never seemed to get into trouble like the rest of us, except once I remember when Mum and Dad left money for an oil delivery due in the afternoon and we cashed in some deposit milk and soda bottles and all went to thetheater to see the Beatles movie, HELP!.  As I said, she was a very devoted fan.
A few years later she ran Rand's Sewing Machine Store in Norwood on her own.
Once she met Rick, the love of her life, she never dated anyone else.  Once we were all together enjoying a game night and she asked one of us to move our seat, because she wanted to look at him.  We teased her about that!  I'll always remember their beautiful wedding. Then, she put on great family parties with Rick's help that were a real delight to us all.  When she arrived at your  house,  you could be sure she would arrive with a carefully packed cooler and bags full of treats to share.
Creative and smart,  she devised methods of doing many things despite the limitations that polio imposed on her physically.  She was so brave and courageous, regaining her ability to walk as a girl through painful excercise.  Uncomplaining, as she found her hard won strength diminishing.  I will always love and admire her so much.  God bless you Rick, she went to heaven and all our dear ones knowing your love and care were watching over her.

I can't even really believe that this is real.  I know that Ninna is healthy, and happy in Heaven with Jesus, and Grammy and Granky, but at the same time I am still picturing her in Gastonia.   When I think back on my childhood, most of my memories have her in them.  I admired her so much when I was little.  I always loved how neat she was.   The house was always beautiful.  I would dream about being grown up and think that I wanted a house just like hers when I grew up.  Her and Konk would go out of their way to make sure we had the best summers.  I had so many birthday parties by the pool.  Such happy family memories.  I just remember everyone laughing and having good times.  When we stayed during the summer, we would stay up late and call the radio stations to request songs.  One time Kenny Chesney was on the radio show, and I actually got through to him! I too remember Halloween at Ninna and Konks house.  She would answer the door dressed like a witch.  I won't ever forget that.  She always referred to herself as " The cool aunt."  She was just that.  She would clip out magazine articles for me of famous people she knew I liked.  I always got so excited to go hang out with Nin.  She always did whatever she could to stay up to date on anything she knew we liked.  I will miss her , but I know in my heart that we will see her again.  Love you Nin.  

My heart is so heavy and sad to have to say goodbye to my sister Linda.  We made such wonderful memories together as a family, first as children growing up in our happy home, with our loving parents and then as adults sharing so many fun times with husbands, my parents, sisters, my children and grandchildren.   I was the maid of honor at her wedding and she was at my wedding.  We used to have so much fun on holidays, cookouts, game nights, or just having dinners together.  My girls have nice memories of spending time at Linda and Rick's home, swimming in the pool, staying overnight and doing so many fun things together.  Hannah told me of her nice memories of spending time talking in the bedroom at my mother's house, just having nice conversations together.  We went on cruises together and those are special memories too.  She had difficult physical challenges as a  small child, with many operations, recoveries and exercises and  was able to walk for many years without crutches, or braces, but as she got older,  she got more weak and so had to struggle a lot. God blessed her with the most caring, loving and wonderful husband that she could ever have had.  Rick always took such great care of her, for whatever she needed.   She is now healthy and strong and in a perfect place, with God in His glorious heaven, my parents, our little sister who  passed away as a baby and all those that she loves and who love her.  We will all be together again one day and that gives me comfort.  I love her very much and it is hard to believe that she is no longer here.   

Ninna was the definition of "fun aunt". As kids, she and my uncle, Konk, knew exactly how to make us feel right at home when we'd come over during the summer time. She'd always make sure we had plenty of good food and drinks by the pool, we'd have the best game nights, and I'll always remember for desserts, she'd give us a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone with a malted milk ball at the bottom of the cone. She'd take us back to school shopping at the end of every summer and we'd go to dinner and a Disney movie every summer together. I will always cherish those memories I had with her. We miss her dearly already, but I know she is so happy in Heaven now with my grandparents. 

Ninna is a part of so many of my childhood memories.  I think Halloweens will always be one of my favorites.  Ninna and Konk's house at Halloween is still an inspiration for me when celebrating with my boys.  The house full of people and its spooky fun vibe, Ninna's witch costume, us kids sitting on the floor taking stock of our trick-or-treat loot while watching The Great Pumpkin all made me fall in love with the holiday and gave me so many wonderful memories.  I think it was one of Ninna's favorites too. 

I remember loving the days we got to spend at Ninna and Konk's, talking about our favorite musicians and movie stars, eating vegetables and dip off the side of the pool, staying up late playing games, and calling radio stations to make requests.  I'll always remember being one of the first kids to see any new Disney movie at the theater because Ninna and Konk always took us.  So many wonderful memories from sweet childhood.

I'll remember the special bond I felt with Ninna, my aunt and my godmother.  We were similar in so many ways as the firstborn of a pack of girls.  Seeing her most often of all of our aunts, she became to me the model for what an aunt should be and I remembered all those things when I became an aunt.  

My heart is sad at our family's loss, but rejoices in knowing that Ninna is happily and easily walking the streets of heaven, no longer restricted, no longer in pain, and reunited with Grammy and Granky. 

Linda and I were married for 47 beautiful years. We loved each other very much.  Over the years we shared many happy times together and with her family. She has 3 sisters, all married, some have children, whom we love very much. She will be deeply missed by me, her husband of 47 years. I hope she is doing much better now up in heaven with her family, She is in God's loving hands now. 

I love you Linda and always will forever.

OBITUARY

Linda Topf

15 March, 1951 – 18 August, 2021

McEwen Funeral Service at Sharon Memorial Park

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