Linda Rae Kaufman
Linda Rae Kaufman
May 19, 1948 – Oct. 30, 2020
Our beautiful, spirited mom and grandma went peacefully to Heaven after a long courageous battle with Alzheimer’s. Although this awful disease took her from us way too soon, it did not define her life. She lived her life fully with energy, enthusiasm and love for her family and joy for each day.
Linda was born on May 19, 1948, in Fort Ord, Monterey, Calif. The third child and only daughter of an Army Lt. Colonel, she moved around a lot until settling in Spokane, Wash., as a young teenager. It was there that she met and fell in love with her husband of 41 years, Everett Lee, “Bud,” affectionately known as Baker Bud. Together they raised four children and had wonderful family adventures.
Linda was the most devoted, loving wife and mother. She loved being a stay-at-home mom and took the best care of her family. Linda was always supportive of her kids and was such a fun mom, making each birthday and holiday special. She got so much joy from watching her kids grow and she was so proud of all they did. Linda also loved her fur babies and was devoted to her sweet pups, Benji, Snickers, Peanut and Angel. Her special time later in life was when she took walks with Angel, which she enjoyed daily.
Family was everything to Linda. After her children started school, Linda took the job of a cafeteria worker at Canfield Middle School, and later worked at Woodland Middle School. She enjoyed serving the students and always offered a smile or a joke and was affectionately nicknamed the “Milkshake Lady.”
Linda loved the sunshine and the outdoors. She especially enjoyed her family’s many camping trips at Priest Lake, and it is a tradition that much of her family continues today. She loved boating, beach time and playing cards. She also played in a bowling league and spent a lot of time on the dance floor. Dancing was one of her favorite things and she got so much joy from music! Her favorite dance partner was, of course, her fun hubby, Bud, and she also loved to twirl in the kitchen with her grandkids.
Linda also loved to garden and would plant the most beautiful flowers every spring. For Mother’s Day every year she would look forward to her kids and grandkids helping her plant special flowers. Linda was a spirited, fun-loving person who was always up for anything! She had many talents, but some of them included cooking, sewing and crafting different projects with Bud and her grandkids. She loved making big holiday meals and having all the family over to celebrate.
After losing Bud to cancer, Linda focused on spending time with her growing family. Her grandkids were the light of her life! There was no greater joy for her than when her grandkids came along and she enjoyed every moment spent with them. She had so much fun doing holiday crafts and decorating for Christmas with them. She loved playing with them in the summer sun at Priest Lake! She always made them feel special and loved. We all have so many amazing memories of special times with her that we will cherish.
Linda lived her life with kindness and love for others. She had the best sense of humor and loved to goof around. Whenever you were around her there was bound to be fun and laughter! She was a tremendously strong woman, feisty and not afraid to stand up for what she believed. Her incredible strength, positivity and playfulness got her through the tough times in life and this is a wonderful example she shared with all of us. Linda’s love for her family showed in everything she did and this was her greatest legacy. We all were so blessed to have her as a mother and grandmother.
As she entered Heaven early in the morning, there was a spectacular sunrise fully displaying her love and joy for life and all that she meant to us. We will always remember this sunrise in honor of her, as she was a bold ray of light and she always saw all of life’s beautiful colors. We will carry her love and joyful spirit with us in our hearts forever.
Her family includes son and daughter-in-law, Mike and Sara of Portland, Ore.; son and daughter-in-law, Chad and Kim; daughter and son-in-law, Staci and Kirk Johnson, all of Coeur d’Alene; son and daughter-in-law, Jeremy and Amanda of Spirit Lake; 10 grandchildren that she adored: Hailey, Christopher, Hannah, Nicholas, Makayla, Jazmyn, Khloe, Stella, Brooklyn and Jackson; brother and sister-in-law, Jerry and Mary Schafer of Chattaroy, Wash.; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Chuck and Diane Kaufman of Spokane, Wash.; and nieces and nephews, Jerry, Carrie, Jason, Kammi, Crystal, Bob, Tom and Kari.
Linda was predeceased by her loving husband, Bud; her parents, Ray and Dorothy Schafer; her brother, Ray Schafer and sister-in-law, JoAnn Rosholt.
A small family memorial will be held soon to celebrate Linda’s life and family legacy. In honor of her, please consider donating to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease at Alzheimer’s Association: act.alz.org. or their home office at 225 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601.
We would like to thank all the amazing caregivers at Guardian Angel Homes. We will forever be grateful for the love, kindness and care you gave mom during these last few years.
