October 12, 1936 – January 30, 2013 (76 years old)
Gretchen passed away peacefully at Serenity House in Santa Barbara surrounded by her loving family. She was born in St. Pal Minnesota to Ruben and Virginia Linquist. She moved to Oregon when she was fifteen years old and migrated down to Santa Barbara after college. She worked at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital as a secretary. There, she met her husband Tom whom she raised three children with. She was very involved in age-group swimming with her children at the YMCA and the Santa Barbara Swim Club.
In her earlier days she loved to travel, spending most of her time at their condo in Kauai. She loved surf fishing as well as camping at Lake Nacimiento. She lived life to the fullest and enjoyed spending time with her many grandchildren. The house was always a place of laughter and carefree fun where she encouraged eating olives off of fingers at dinner and banging pots and pans on New Years Eve. To this day she is still known as the “fun and crazy grandma.”
She is survived by her husband Thomas of 54 years and their children: Ginger Kaufman and her boyfriend Tony Barr, her son Jason and his wife Reyna; their children Kylie and Cienna. Connie Chackel, her husband David and their children Katie, Danny and Kelly. Thomas Jr., his wife Kim and his children Shelby and Meagan Cook, her sister, Sue Broderick; her husband Terry and many nieces and nephews.
A special thank you goes out to the entire staff of Serenity House for their loving and compassionate care. No services have been scheduled; a memorial will be announced at a later date. Online memories can be made at www.wrhsb.com. Arrangements have been handled by Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Chapel and Crematorium. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages a donation to Serenity House, 930 Miramonte Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93109; Phone 805-965-5555.
For more information on the memorial please email Ginkau@hotmail.com
