Lindis Helen Elliott

With the dignity and quiet calmness that held true her whole life, our wonderful wife, mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother Lindis Helen Elliott passed away October 15, 2023 with her family by her side.

Born in England in 1948 to her parents Jack and Margaret (nee Nicholson) Elliott, Lindis was an only child and much loved first grandchild. Growing up in the seaside village of Amble, Northumberland, Lindis fondly recalled riding on a coal mining cart with her grandfather Joseph Nicholson, special time with the family pet, Wimpy-dog, being fed tasty treats by her doting great-aunt Nellie, and, much to her disgust, drinking lukewarm milk in school.

It was a time of poverty and job insecurity in post-war northern England, and Lindis' father Jack emigrated to Canada in 1952 in search of work, bringing his family in 1953. Lindis was five years old when she sailed across the sea on the RMS Samaria with her mother and aunt Nancy. Originally settling in Calgary, they spent time following Jack's career to Edmonton and Lethbridge, where Lindis graduated high school from Lethbridge Collegiate Institute in 1965. At the University of Alberta, she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in 1969 and her Master's of Science in food science in 1971.

Lindis worked hard as a single mother in the 1970s to raise her young sons Joseph and Arthur in Calgary. Beyond soccer practice, camping trips, and making school lunches, she also worked in research labs at the University of Calgary. In 1976, Lindis met Mark Psutka. She returned to education once again to receive a teaching diploma and taught high school biology and chemistry at Central Memorial for five years and Ernest Manning for another two years. After marrying Mark in 1985, Lindis welcomed daughters Rebecca, then Rachel. The family followed Mark's work to Sarnia, Ontario in 1988, where Lindis taught physics to adult learners at Lambton College - she later described this as her favourite job she ever had, other than being our mom. The family moved to Fort Saskatchewan in 1992.

In Fort Saskatchewan, after her youngest started school, Lindis returned to another job, this time at H&R Block. She worked as a tax preparer for 17 years, making sure every rightfully owed deduction was returned to the taxpayer. Lindis had grateful repeat clients for years. She also loved being involved in her daughters' activities, whether it be sewing dance costumes by hand, driving across rural Alberta to swim meets in the wee hours of the morning, or politely listening as we hit many wrong notes while learning piano, oboe, French horn, or trumpet before eventually proudly watching us excel at music festivals and exams.

Lindis and Mark grew large gardens every year, first in Calgary, then Sarnia, then in Fort Saskatchewan. In addition to being a master gardener and keeping beautiful flowerbeds, Lindis preserved every vegetable and made hundreds of delicious jams, jellies, salsas, blanched vegetables, and more stewed tomatoes than anyone could ever need. Lindis loved to eat these home-grown treasures, especially her beloved baked potatoes from the many varieties of potatoes saved for winter. Her children realize with relief that the world will never again face a dish called "Herbert" - a microwaved casserole made of egg, cheese, and a mountain of grated zucchini. Luckily, for every Herbert there were many more delicious and nutritious garden-sourced meals Lindis blessed us with that we will miss dearly. Lindis was also a fantastic and efficient baker, and our stomachs are collectively grateful for the many muffins, cookies, cinnamon buns, cheese buns, and coffee cakes that we all lovingly and dutifully ate over the years.

In the winters, Lindis crocheted mountains of hats, mittens, and scarves, donning her children and their families in her creations and donating others to the hospital for premature babies or cancer patients. She even made her own yarn, buying raw wool from the shepherdess of the Fort Saskatchewan sheep, carding it and spinning it on her wheel. Her biggest hobby was perhaps her pottery. Lindis was a valued member of the Fort Saskatchewan Pottery Guild and delighted in "playing in the mud" to make beautiful dishes and decor. Once she filled her children's kitchen cupboards she sold many more at local pottery sales, her name etched on the bottom of each creation.

Despite all her activities, Lindis was a quiet and private person whose best days were filled with walks or bike rides with her friend Debbie, reading an endless stream of murder mysteries on her Kobo, researching her genealogy, watching 'science night' on PBS with Mark, or making eight loaves of bread at once in her always busy kitchen. Mom also delighted in traveling to see wherever in the world her children had ended up or to escape winter. Alongside Mark, she made several visits to New Zealand, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Atlantic Canada; she was always the first to wade barefoot (or bodyboard!) in the ocean. One particular summer, Lindis was barely home as she traveled the U.K. with Rachel, to Martha's Vineyard with Joe and Arthur, and made it to B.C. to welcome Rebecca's first child. One of her last big adventures was to Tofino, B.C., which she had first visited in the early 1970s as a young woman camping on the beach. She got to explore tide pools, hear the roar of the ocean, and feel the salty breeze in her long, beautiful hair once again.

In 2021, Lindis was diagnosed with a rare appendix cancer. She faced several surgeries, hospital stays, rounds of chemotherapy, scans, bloodwork, dressing changes, and many high protein smoothies with the same bravery, stoicism, and pragmatism she did the rest of her life. If she ever asked 'why me?', she didn't say it aloud. She was very proud of her daughters for all the ways they improved her care - from Rebecca's medical expertise to Rachel's nursing skills at home. Her busy days filled with medical appointments, then gradually became quieter. Though losing Lindis is immense, we are so grateful for the time spent together after her diagnosis.

Lindis was predeceased by her parents Jack and Margaret. She is survived by her husband Mark Psutka and her children Joseph Tucker (Marge), Arthur Tucker (Sheila), Rebecca Psutka (Alex Kruize), and Rachel Psutka (Jonathan Bauche). She is also survived by her seven grandchildren Mykaela Tucker (David Berger-Jones), Daniel Tucker (Jemma Hicken), Jack Tucker, James Tucker, Oskar Kruize, Odessa Kruize, and Rosalind Bauche, as well as two great granddaughters Madeline and Ava.

The family would like to thank the nurses at Fort Saskatchewan home care, especially Shelly, the Home Parenteral Nutrition Program team, Dr. Rebekah Gilbert, Dr. Irma Kritzinger, and Dr. David Bartlett in Pittsburgh for buying us time with Mom and providing her with excellent care and advice as she courageously and fully lived with cancer over the past two years.

There will be no service per Lindis' request. Her ashes will be laid to rest alongside her parents in Queen's Park Cemetery in Calgary by her family at a later date.

Mom, you took the hardships in your life and turned them around to teach us all self-sufficiency and determination. If we can face life with the same spirit as you, we'll do just fine. Love is a reflex, it's what we do. We will forever be missing you.