LINKERT, Ellen

Ellen Jeanette Linkert née Shearer

September 17, 1921 — October 12, 2024

After a full and wonderful life, on October 12, our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, passed away peacefully at Campbell House in Collingwood, Ontario.

Ellen will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by her daughter Diane and husband Robin, daughter Jill and daughter-in-law Dale. Ellen will also be missed by her grandchildren Jordan, Elizabeth and Becca, great grandchildren Earl and Charlie, her brother John and many others from her large extended family.

Ellen was born on September 17, 1921 to Ellen and Gavin Shearer and spent her childhood on a farm in Indian River, Otonabee-South Monaghan Township, Ontario. Ellen was one of eight children—Ruth, Gavin [Buster], Olive, Ellen, Norma, Joan, Karen, and John. All but John predeceased her.

After completing her schooling, Ellen joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. It was there that she met and fell in love with flight instructor Royden Woodrow Linkert. On April 1, 1943 they married. They had four children: Wayne, Diane, Jill, and Blair. After the war, Roy joined London Life Insurance Company and the family lived for a time in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta, before returning to Ontario and homes in Peterborough and Hamilton. In 1955 they bought a house in a new subdivision in Scarborough and remained there until Ellen moved to Raglan Village in Collingwood in 2015. During those years, Ellen & Roy also very much enjoyed their time at their cottage on Farquhar Lake, Wilberforce, Ontario as well as their winter home in North Port, Florida.

Family was everything to Ellen. She was much-loved as a mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Always ready to help out and provide care to family members, including extended family, as needs arose, she was also instrumental in the organization of several family reunions. We came to think of her as ‘the matriarch’.

Inheriting the artistic flair of her own mother, Ellen created exquisite prize-winning pine-needle baskets and made other highly skilled craft items including decorated gourds and porcupine quill work. She was an enthusiastic gardener, an avid reader, and loved doing sudoku and jigsaw puzzles, especially with her sister and best friend, Norma.

Ellen maintained a lively interest in current events and enjoyed discussing news of the day with everyone she came in contact with. So many of the people with whom she interacted in a variety of contexts became real friends.

Ellen celebrated her 103rd birthday this year. What was her secret to such longevity? She never really said, but we think it had a lot to do with her great sense of humour and positive outlook on life.

We are so grateful to all of the staff at Raglan Village Retirement Home where Ellen lived from 2015 to the end of her days for their loving care over many years. And thank you to Campbell House for their care during her short stay there.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday November 16 for family and close friends from 1 -4 pm (venue to be announced). If so desired, memorial donations may be made to Hospice Georgian Triangle Foundation at 240 Erie St, Collingwood, ON L9Y 0X8 or charity of your choice. Friends may visit Ellen's online Book of Memories at www.fawcettfuneralhomes.com