Appreciations on Joe’s 50th Birthday

As a way to commemorate this milestone birthday of 50 years my love, I asked your family and a few of your close friends to write messages of appreciation for you.  They wrote some pretty great, thoughtful messages which are included here:

From your nephew Miles Gastil:

Happy Birthday Uncle Joe!

I hope you have an amazing birthday. You deserve it! I am so happy you now have a family to call your own. I know you will be as good as a father as you are an uncle. You have been a wonderful influence in my life and I look forward to becoming closer with your growing immediate family. You’re an amazing artist who constantly inspires me to draw. I look at your sketches and paintings and see them as a goal for me to someday achieve that kind of beauty in my drawings. I also enjoy playing chess with you and look forward to more games, and helping you teaching your kid how to play someday. Happy Birthday Uncle Joe.

Love you guys! Miles

From your nephew Garrett Gastil:

Happy 50th Birthday Uncle Joe!

You have always been one of the most fun people to be around. When I was a kid, I remember that I would always be excited to see you because you would pick me up and throw me around your body.

Matt Linton’s Recollections on Mom

Mom and Matt dancing together at Matt and Liz's wedding

Here’s the talk that my older brother, Matt Linton, gave at mom’s memorial service yesterday.

Matt Linton’s sharing about Marge Linton
8/6/2011 Tustin Presbyterian Church

I am going to share a few personal stories of my mom so that you can get a sense of who she was and what she meant to me.

My mother sacrificed for us. My mom loved all of us children equally all though we would often accuse her of loving Fletcher more. My mom would tease us and say I should have raised chinchillas.

My dad was a manic-depressive alcoholic. She thought that if she just loved my dad enough that he would change. Alas my father Peter did not change. She choose us children over her husband.

My mom protected us. My dad would come home drunk and want to watch TV. My mom would say let’s go for a ride in the car. I would say where are we going? She said we going for a ride.

It might seem like an easy decision to leave a manic-depressive alcoholic spouse but it was not that simple.

My mom showed a great deal of courage and perseverance to raise us children alone. She went back to school to finish her library science degree. She worked two or three jobs to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. Not an easy task with hungry four teenagers. We would call our Mom at work and get her in trouble with her boss. We would say “Joe’s acting like Hitler – he will not let us watch our favorite TV show.”

Forgive me mom for calling you at work; I am sorry. Joe is a great person now.