On Friday, September 4, 2020, Linda Joyce Hafen, loving wife and mother, passed away at the age of 68 in their family home in Valencia, California, surrounded by her husband and children.
Linda was born on May 10, 1952 in Englewood, New Jersey to John and Enid Everson, and grew up in San Anselmo, California. She received her degree in Architecture from the University of Southern California. On August 3, 1974, she married Gary Hafen. They raised two children, Brian and Wendy.
To put into words the impact Linda made on everyone around her is near impossible. Anyone who knew her would agree she had a larger-than-life personality. She was a loving friend to many, and often left others with their cheeks hurting from so much laughter. Her energetic spirit made others want to be around her more. Her tribe of friends have been in her corner for decades and all would exclaim she was a real-life “Wonder Woman.”
She had an incredible imagination, and created a beautiful, magical childhood for her kids. Birthday parties were full of fun, delicious home cooked meals were made every night, elaborate Halloween costumes were sewn by hand and Christmas mornings were full of magic and joy. This amazing presence and love were passed on to her grandchildren, as she read them stories in her many funny character voices and showered them with hugs and kisses.
The love she held with her husband, Gary, was one for the fairy tale books. Their commitment, companionship and affection for one another was something to be admired. They were equal partners in every sense of the word, and shared in creating a home full of love for their family. Linda had a love of travel and was fortunate to see the world with Gary, exploring many countries and historic sights thanks to her impeccable planning abilities. But beyond the grand adventures, their most favorite thing to do was being up at their rustic cabin in Big Bear Lake, sitting on their deck overlooking the beautiful lake or cruising in their boat. Big Bear Lake was definitely her “happy place” where she spent every summer and built a lifetime of memories with friends and family.
Linda is survived by her devoted husband Gary; her son and his wife, Brian and Steffi Hafen and their children, Hunter and Audrey; her daughter and her husband, Wendy and Mark Coleman and their children, Cameron, Krew and Jackson; her nephew Chris Eckland and his wife Hanni and children Elouise and Olen; and her brother-in-law and sister-in-law Loren and Patty Hafen and their children, Lindsay and Connor. She was preceded in death by her father, John, her mother, Enid, and her sister, Joanie Eckland.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to be made to City of Hope in Linda’s memory for Uterine Cancer Research.