Mrs. Linda Lee (nee Rothrauff) Ewbank of Cool, California, loving wife and mother, passed peacefully into eternal rest on June 10, 2021, following a long and brave battle with Parkinson’s disease. Born on April 16, 1939 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Mary (nee Sedden) and Ottmar Rottrauff, Linda and her parents later moved to California, where she attended Fremont High School before landing a position at Lockheed. Soon thereafter accepting an invitation for a blind (double) date with a colleague’s brother, Linda met the love of her life, Donald Ewbank. That same evening, they both also established their deepest, lifelong friendships, Linda with Donald’s sister Shirley (nee Ewbank) Cornwell and Don with his brother-in-law Gary Cornwell. Following a brief courtship, Linda and Don were married in a simple, but elegant, garden ceremony at her family home in Sunnyvale, California on July 26, 1958, and enjoyed nearly 63 years as inseparable, devoted partners. Linda and Don raised four loving children, Lisa Ewbank of Los Gatos, California; Kathy (nee Ewbank) White of Westlake Village, California; Jennifer Ewbank Kelton of Reston, Virginia; and Steve Ewbank of Santa Clara, California. Linda joyfully welcomed into the family son-in-law Mark Kelton and daughter-in-law Laura Sonora, both of whom she warmly embraced as her own. One of Linda’s greatest joys was becoming Oma (grandmother) to Spencer and Sophie White, and later to Jennifer’s step-children Cameron (nee Kelton) Morency and Callum Kelton. That joy deepened as she welcomed to the family Cameron’s husband Jeffrey Morency, and before entering the final phases of illness, Linda learned she had become great-grandmother to Ian Alexander.
Linda had a gracious and generous spirit, reflected in her lifelong love of all animals. She was an accomplished horsewoman earlier in life, first riding English style in dressage and fox-hunting, and later enjoying the simpler pleasures of Western trail riding. Her suburban home in Campbell, California included an ever-changing menagerie of animals, always dogs and cats, but also over the years birds, fish, desert tortoises, guinea pigs, and even a lamb in the backyard. Later moving after retirement to her dream home, a small ranch in Cool, California, Linda expanded the menagerie to include miniature donkeys and goats. Most beloved among her many four-footed friends were her horses Sancho and Taco, cats Pandora and Howard, and every dog she ever met. Her home in Cool was named Golden Acres after her Golden Retriever Sukari, and she leaves behind her sweet and loving Chihuahua Prada.
Creativity and artistic expression came naturally for Linda. Learning from her parents, who enjoyed singing, dancing, and playing the piano and organ, Linda herself became a gifted pianist, who could play tunes by ear. One of her most prized possessions was her baby grand piano, which always held a place of honor in her home. She danced as a young girl, and one of Linda’s most charming photos is of her wearing a top hat, tails, and her tap shoes. Linda’s gifts extended to the visual and written arts, too. Her charcoal and acrylic drawings reflected great sensitivity and an appreciation for the natural world, while her writing, particularly stories of her many travels with Don, brought the reader deep into her experiences around the world.
Traveling with Don was one of her purest joys; Linda’s heart and mind embraced cultures all around the world. Linda, it could be said, never met a stranger while traveling, and her inner adventurer was unleashed by encounters with new friends in new lands. Whether riding with gauchos in Argentina, parasailing in the Caribbean, cruising the rivers of Europe, on safari in Africa, or in a rain forest in East Asia, Linda drank it all in with enthusiasm. Once, while cruising the Nile, Linda was pulled overboard by her famously heavy handbag. Though he could not swim, her beloved Don jumped into the Nile to save her, and the two became instant celebrities on the cruise ship. While climbing temples in northern Burma, and conversing with curious villagers, Linda was overcome by an intense sense of peace and the feeling that she had perhaps been there in a past life. And one of her fondest memories of all was of a romantic week spent with Don on a remote island in the South Pacific. Linda’s appreciation of cultures extended most deeply to those around her here in America. She developed a profound respect and love for Native American cultures, studying them, learning from them, and incorporating some of their practices into her daily life. She loved Native American art, she erected an authentic teepee on her small ranch in Cool, and in her final days, it was a dream catcher upon which her gaze fixated.
Linda is survived by her husband Donald, children Lisa, Kathy, Jennifer, and Steve, son-in law Mark, daughter-in-law Laura, grandchildren Spencer, Sophie, Cameron, Callum, and Jeff, great-grandson Ian, and her sweet little girl Prada. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to animal welfare charities or the Parkinson’s Foundation.
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