Linda Motzek

Mom left us peacefully in her sleep at 93 years of age to join dad, who passed in 2024, and whom she missed dearly.

Born in Karlsruhe, Germany, to Frieda and Hermann Auer, Linda persevered through wartime challenges, meeting the love of her life, Guenther, at the local Sports Club. She followed dad to Canada in 1952 to join him for "a year." After a short courtship, they married, celebrating 72 years of "doing what comes naturally" together.

Linda and Guenther began their life together in Winnipeg with only a down quilt and a spoon and bowl between them. Two years later, they packed their two toddlers, Ralph and Susan, into their VW Beetle, tied the cribs on the roof, and headed to Vancouver. Arriving on the west coast, they welcomed Peter to the family and shortly thereafter settled in Tsawwassen, where Linda transformed the bare property of their first home into a garden paradise. Small but mighty, she worked tirelessly, nurturing her vegetable and flower gardens and tackling the lawns with her manual reel mower. When not in the garden, she was passionately knitting sweaters for the family, putting up preserves, making jelly, and biking to get groceries and other goods. Thrift, borne out of wartime necessity, dictated that nothing was ever wasted; even outgrown clothing was painstakingly braided into rugs.

Our home in Tsawwassen was always open to friends and family, and a hub of whatever sports teams the family was involved in. Linda delighted in loving us with her delicious baking, meals, and hospitality. This caring for others continued even after downsizing to their Ocean Park Black Forest home, where, despite the poor soil (compared to Tsawwassen), Linda received recognition from Surrey for her beautiful garden. Fortunately, her many skills and her independent and hardworking nature were passed along to children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Missing mom are Ralph (Christie), Susan (Steve), and Peter (Candy), who thank their children and grandchildren for their loving visits to Oma, Dr. Arjun Odredra for his care over the past few years, and to Woodgrove Manor staff for their compassion and kindness in her final days.

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