Linda Susan Ecklund

The family of Harold and Phyllis Ecklund sadly announce the passing of Linda Susan Ecklund, beloved daughter to her parents and big sister to Ken, Gary, Brian, and Laurie. She passed peacefully with family by her side on January 25, 2022, at the Hospice at Glengarda in Saskatoon.

Linda was born in September 1951 at the hospital in Broadview, Saskatchewan. In 1956, she began attending Percival School and in Grade 3, she made the move to the L.M. Wilson school in Whitewood. That was where she met lifelong friends (the “three B’s and honey” as her mom called them), worked as a Candy Striper after school, and dedicated herself to piano lessons. She loved to play simply for the joy of it whenever she was around a piano. She graduated from high school in 1969 after receiving several scholarships and the Governor General Award for Excellence.

After a year at university, and not having quite settled on a career choice, Linda moved to Edmonton to work and ponder her future. In 1972, the urge to travel struck and Harold and Phyllis moved her few possessions (Linda was very much a minimalist) back to the farm as she prepared to backpack across Europe. With letters in hand confirming reservations, plane tickets that came in the mail, and the love and support from her family, off she went. Linda’s life-long passion for backpacking, hosteling, and travelling had officially begun.

Upon returning from her overseas adventure, she moved to Regina and lived at the YWCA while working at the University in several departments. Linda still wasn’t certain of her education and career path, but that would come soon.

One weekend while at the farm, Linda was watching her mom struggle with balancing the Lutheran Church books. When Phyllis asked for help, Linda pointed out she had no accounting background, but she would give it a try. She sat down, dove right in, studied the ledger, found the error and realized, “I like this!” Linda now had a university plan.

After graduating with her degree in Business Administration, Linda worked in Regina at Cooperators as well as at Caesar’s Palace. Passionate about furthering her education, she moved to Saskatoon in 1982 where she graduated two years later with her Master of Business Administration. Linda worked at SED Systems in Saskatoon but still needed to feed her travel bug. She took a job teaching economics and statistics at the Arctic College in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories.

Soon Linda’s wanderlust hit again and this time it started with an ad she noticed in the Edmonton Journal. It was an opportunity to work for the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) with a prerequisite of “Only Northerners can apply”. Lucky for Linda, she was now a Northerner. So off she went to Yellowknife with her five-year plan while her 1982 Toyota Tercel was safely shipped on the ice road.

Linda worked for 27 years in various management roles in social welfare, education, and her final position was investment manager for the GNWT. What began with countless Twin Otter plane trips to Northern Inuit Villages, culminated with private jet trips briefing the deputy minister on important matters at hand. Linda also had the opportunity to travel as part of her work in the Arctic and would often invite her mom along for company. Phyllis loved the opportunity to travel and even better to do so with her eldest daughter.

Linda loved spending time with her family when she returned home for vacations. She was especially proud of her nieces and nephews and many good times were spent together including visits to the George Chopping Museum, attending lessons at the swimming pool and much, much more. As they got older, Auntie Linda would always spend individual time with them listening to their stories and telling them her own of her travels. As they grew into young adults, they still had fun together, but the talks now included Linda’s encouragement and advice on the value of getting an education, travelling on your own and making wise investments. Linda continued to expand her loving connections as the family grew to include their spouses, and later, great nieces and nephews as well.

Linda was fiercely independent with global travel ambitions and she knew how to do it on a shoe-string budget. She backpacked around the world twice! When she retired in 2013, she moved into her father’s basement using it as a home base and from there, she travelled even more. Every winter she would head to her favourite place of all, Honolulu, with many other destinations beyond.

Linda’s determination to live life to its fullest was evident as she battled cancer. Linda beat her first bout with the disease and continued travelling, alone or with her sister during her school breaks. In 2019, Linda’s cancer returned and Laurie retired early making a pact with her big sis that they would work hard to beat this. Her dad called her every single day and Laurie dedicated her days to making sure Linda’s physical, social and emotional needs were being met. That prescription worked well right up until chemo did not. For the next month, Linda’s health declined but phone calls/messages from her dad, brothers, family and friends continued. Linda could not respond but she brightened up when she heard the voices from these special people in her life, keeping her spirits up.

Linda was preceded in death by her mother, Phyllis, in 2009, and her nephew, Jason, in 1999, along with all of Phyllis’ siblings and her Uncle Stan Ecklund and Aunt Gladys Ecklund. She is survived by her dad, Harold Ecklund, her brothers Ken (Donalda) and their children: Miranda (Chris Zerr) and their children: Tala and Mavrik; brother Gary (Sandra) and their children: Alexsa and Kali; Roxann (Mike Waelchli) and their children: Amilee and Freya; Kate (Mitch) and their children: Ainsley and Gunner, and their mother and grandmother, Dianne Ecklund; brother Brian (Bonnie); sister Laurie (John Dunlop) and her children: Makayla (Sheldon), Carmen (Tyler) and Jake (Natalie), and their father Joel Johanson;her Aunt Lois Fitzpatrick; Uncle Keith Ecklund (Edna); Auntie Doris (Roger Haynes); Uncle Sid Ecklund (Maryanne), and many cousins on both the Ecklund and Fitzpatrick sides.

A celebration of Linda’s life will be held on June 30th, 2022 at the family farm near Percival. Donations may be made on Linda’s behalf to The Percival Cemetery, the Canadian Cancer Society, or the Hospice Glengarda in Saskatoon.