Obituary of Linda Louise Schneider
Today we celebrate the life of our beloved mom, Linda, (née Janzen) whose life was full of love, sacrifice, and resilience. Her greatest love in life was her family—her husband of 56 years, Jim Schneider (who passed away in 2021), her three girls, Susan Hamill of Waterloo, Nancy Gibson (Mark) of Kitchener, and Margie Schneider (Doros Theodosiou) of Waterloo, and her seven grandchildren Emily, Natalie, Avery (Miryah), Mabel, Jacob, Quinn, Michael, and her great-granddaughter, Soleia, all of whom she loved dearly.
She was born in Kitchener on May 14, 1943, to Sieghard and Anna Janzen (née Warkentin) and had two siblings Paul and Helene. She attended Kitchener Collegiate Institute for one year and then attended Waterloo Collegiate Institute in its inaugural year in 1960 and for her remaining years of high school. Following high school, she attended St. Mary’s School of Nursing with her best friend Carolyn Bates (née Duench), graduating in 1965. She worked her entire career in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at both St. Mary’s Hospital and eventually K-W Hospital (now Waterloo Regional Health Network—Midtown), once both obstetric units amalgamated there in 1989. In the NICU, she worked with many complex cases, and did so with love and grace, providing much support to new parents. No detail was too small, and she took great joy in her attention to detail, including such special touches as decorating each new baby’s name tag on their bassinet and giving them a fresh “updo” after their first bath. In her own words, “I love my job”. For a short time, too, she and our dad owned a gift and balloon store in the Waterloo Hotel called The Gifting Poste, and created many wooden folk art items that our dad would craft from wood, and she would paint with great care. It makes us proud to know that these craft items still adorn homes locally and are part of her legacy.
She was an amazing mom, sacrificing her own sleep and well-being to work nights at the hospital, so that she would be home with us during the day. As kids, I don’t think we truly understood the immensity of that sacrifice but as mothers, we now do. In her “free time” she loved to play piano, read, and she loved to sew special outfits for us and crochet ponchos and blankets. She crocheted beautiful tablecloths for each of us, gifting them to us on our wedding days, and beautiful baby blankets for each of our children when they were born. She was also blessed as an amazing cook, making the most delicious meals and desserts. Her beef stroganoff and apple pie were the absolute best, bar none.
As grandkids arrived, she was a doting Nana, helping each of us when our new little ones arrived (including a few overnight stays in the hospital), as well as continuing to support us once we returned home (and for all the years following). She would sew aprons and costumes for the kids whenever asked, and she loved making and decorating (and we all loved eating) her delicious gingerbread and sugar cookies. They were a holiday staple. Family parties were her happiest moments, enjoying time together, sharing a meal, and sharing our latest news with one another.
As our dad’s health began to deteriorate, our mom continued to take such good care of him showing her true resilience in the face of adversity. Her immense love and sacrifice were always evident in everything she did for everyone else around her. She always put the needs of others ahead of her own.
During her own prolonged palliative care journey, she had her three daughters by her side, visits from her grandchildren, sons-in-law, and other family members. She could feel her family’s immense love for her in those final hours. On one special day of clarity, she received audio messages from each of her grandchildren, as well as her favourite cousin, Lisa MacAdam (née Lepp) from Ohio, and she was so happy to get those messages of love and memories from those around her. She died on Friday, July 24th, 2026, at the age of 83 years at Winston Park Long-Term Care, but she left behind a tremendous legacy of love within her family.
We are sincerely thankful for all the amazing nurses, doctors, PSWs and caretakers who provided such loving care to our mother on the Sandhills Neighbourhood, with special thanks to Mila, Tik, Manpreet, Amar, Amandeep, and all others who provided personal care to her in her final days and hours.
Rest in peace, Mom. Know that you are loved fiercely by your family, and most of all, by your three daughters. A wise person once said, “The receipts for love is grief...”, and we have the receipts. We love you. We miss you. We will ensure that your kindness and generosity continue to live on through the amazing legacy you have left in your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild.
Cremation has taken place, and a private memorial celebration of life will be held at a future date. Donations in Linda’s honour may be sent to the Waterloo Regional Health Network (directed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) or the Parkinson’s Society Southwestern Ontario and can be arranged through the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home at www.erbgood.com or (519) 745-8445.