(15 Mar 1944 – 24 August 2015).

A Tribute to our friend Linda by Richard Loudon

It all began for me in 1966 when I was posted to Aden to build a road. After a few days I was invited to a party given by the girls from Aden Airways, the local airline, and it was there that I met Tricia and Linda who shared a flat together. After two amazing and eventful years when we finally got home Tricia and I were married with Linda her chief bridesmaid and so began a lifetime of friendship with Linda for both of us which was to last for more than fifty years. Tricia is right here with me, as is our eldest daughter Fiona, but for all family and friends here, it is a very sad day as we try and come to terms with Linda’s untimely passing.

Aden was a fascinating place to live and work at that time and I am sure for Linda it was the most exciting and memorable time of her life. We were all young then, and therefore totally fearless, so the dangers which were real enough never really reached us. “Woody” as she preferred to be called was in her element, a great party-goer, and in great demand as you can imagine with 22,000 British troops and all those flying types around all looking for company.

Well all good things must come to an end and in 1967 the British left Aden and eventually all of us, or perhaps I should say most of us, got safely home. It was also the end of Aden Airways but Linda managed to get a flying job with Monarch Airlines which was just getting started, based in Luton. I know she made a lot of friends at Monarch and enjoyed her time there immensely and I’m sure also that the Company is well represented here.

However this was the point in Linda’s life when everything began to go wrong – through no fault of hers I might add. It started with a motor accident which left her with the dreaded Whiplash in the back of the neck and as a result the loss of her beloved job flying with Monarch. Soon after, her Mum’s health began to falter eventually requiring Linda to give her full time care. All this meant that with failing health herself she was never able to please herself and to enjoy everybody’s goal of a peaceful and happy retirement. It was a tragedy but the remarkable thing about Linda was that she never complained or allowed these events to get the better of her and seldom discussed them. She was well-read and very knowledgable about every subject under the sun and accordingly as Tricia once said, most interesting to listen to and great company; she was a talented painter in watercolour and oils, very kindly giving us several examples of her work that we particularly liked; she was a very loyal friend of the family, never once forgetting our Birthdays or Christmas with cards and generous presents.

But in my view, her most endearing quality which I shall always remember was her wonderful sense of humour; as Sheila, her friend from Aden and Monarch days, said to me the other day when Linda came to her recent party “she soon had the whole table in fits – as she always did ” I asked Fiona how Linda was when she went to see her in hospital .” Well Daddy I asked if there was anything she would like me to bring her next time, absolutely anything, and she said Brad Pitt !” Only Linda could come out with something like that!

She is going to be missed by all but I hope like me you remember first of all what a wonderful person she was and,with a smile, spare her a thought the next time you see Mr Brad Pitt. Thank you