Linda Ann Bily
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Linda's Tribute Fund
Linda's Tribute Fund
Terms and Conditions
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS WEBSITE (AS DEFINED HEREIN). By using this Website, you signify your acknowledgment and agreement to these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree with these Terms and Conditions, DO NOT use this Website (as defined herein).
These Terms and Conditions govern the use of the Book Of Memories websites (the "Website") and other services (collectively the "Services"). FrontRunner Professional ("Company," "we," "us," "our") reserves the right in our sole discretion to change, amend or modify (the "changes") all or part of these Terms and Conditions at any time and from time to time for any reason. Any changes to these Terms and Conditions will be noted by indicating the date these Terms and Conditions were last made. Any changes will become effective no earlier than fourteen (14) days after they are posted; provided, however, that changes addressing new functions of the Services or changes made for legal reasons will be effective immediately. Your use or continued use of the Services after the date any such changes become effective shall constitute your express acceptance of the Terms and Conditions as changed, amended or modified.
Eligibility: Users under 18 years of age are not eligible to use the Services without consent. Users between the ages of 13 and 17, can use the Services with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian who is at least 18 years of age; provided, however, that such parent or legal guardian agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions, and agrees to be responsible for such use of the Services. Company reserves the right to refuse use of the Services to anyone and to reject, cancel, interrupt, remove or suspend any Campaign, Donation, or the Services at any time for any reason without liability.
Definitions: In these Terms and Conditions "Campaign Organizers" means those raising funds, and "Campaigns" as their fundraising campaigns. Additionally, "Donors" means those contributing funds, and "Donations" as the funds they contribute. Campaign Organizers, Donors and other visitors to the Services are referred to collectively as "Users". The term "Campaign Organizers" shall also be deemed to include any individual(s) designated as a beneficiary of Campaigns.
Services: The Services are offered as a platform (the "Platform") to Users of the Services. Among other features, the Services are designed to allow Campaign Organizers to post Campaigns to the Platform to accept Donations from Donors. Although there are no fees to set up Campaigns, a portion of each Donation will be charged as fees for our Services and those of our third party payment processors. Company reserves the right to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Services with or without notice. You agree that Company will not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, suspension or discontinuance thereof. The Company has no responsibility or liability for the deletion or failure to store any data or other content maintained or uploaded by the Services. To the extent you access the Services through a mobile device, your wireless service carrier's standard charges, data rates and other fees may apply. In addition, downloading, installing, or using certain Services may be prohibited or restricted by your carrier, and not all Services may work with all carriers or devices. By using the Services, you agree that we may communicate with you regarding Company and other entities by SMS, MMS, text message or other electronic means to your mobile device and that certain information about use of the Services may be communicated to us.
Charitable Giving: Campaigns are not charities to which you can make tax-deductible charitable contributions. Any Donation you make through the Platform may be processed by an unaffiliated business partner for which a processing fee (in addition to our FrontRunner Professional Fee) is deducted. You understand, acknowledge and agree that Company is not a charity, and Company does not solicit charitable donations for itself or for any third-party charitable institution. Company is merely acting as a payment facilitator for any Donations.
Administrative Platform Only: The Services are an administrative platform only. The Company is merely acting as a payment facilitator for any Donations between Campaign Organizers and Donors, and is not a party to any agreement between Campaign Organizers and Donors. Company is not a broker, agent, financial institution, creditor or insurer for any user. Company has no control over the conduct of, or any information provided by Campaign Organizers, and Company hereby disclaims all liability in this regard. We expressly disclaim any liability or responsibility for the success or outcome of any Campaign. Donors must in their sole discretion make the final determination of making Donations to any Campaigns. Donors are solely responsible for asking questions and investigating Campaign Organizers and Campaigns to the extent they feel is necessary before making a Contribution. All Donations are made voluntarily and at the sole discretion and risk of Donors. Company does not guarantee that Donations will be used as promised. Company does not endorse, guarantee, make representations, or provide warranties for or about the quality, safety, or legality of any Campaign. Donors are solely responsible for determining how to treat their Donations for tax purposes.
No Verification of Campaign Information: We do not verify the information that Campaign Organizers supply, and do not guarantee that the Donations will be used in accordance with any fundraising purpose prescribed by Campaign Organizers. We disclaim and assume no responsibility to verify whether the Donations are used in accordance with any applicable laws.
Your Registration Obligations: You may be required to register with Company in order to access and use certain features of the Services. If you choose to register for the Services, you agree to provide and maintain true, accurate, current and complete information about yourself as prompted by the Services' registration form. Campaign Organizers must register using their true identities, including their name and any image purporting to depict the Campaign Organizer. Registration data and certain other information about you are governed by our Privacy Policy. If you are under 13 years of age, you are not authorized to use the Services, with or without registering. In addition, if you are under 18 years old, you may use the Services, with or without registering, only with the approval of your parent or guardian. Certain aspects of our Services may also require you to register with (and agree to the terms of) third party service providers (e.g., payment processors or charitable donation processors) in order to utilize such Services. While we may help facilitate such registration in some cases, we are not a party to any such relationships and disclaim any responsibility or liability for the performance by such third parties. We may exchange information with such third party services in order to facilitate the provision of Services (and related third party services).
Public Display of Donations: Donors have the option to publicly display their Donations for public viewing or allow their information to be provided to the Campaign beneficiary(ies). To keep the details of your Donation private, simply click the appropriate checkbox during the Donation process. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information on the ways that we may collect, use, and store certain information about you and your use of the Services.
Payment of Donations: In order to contribute to a Campaign, Donors will be required to provide Company information regarding its credit card (i.e., VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express) or other payment method. Donors represent and warrant to Company that such information is true and that Donors are authorized to use the credit card or payment method. Donors agree that a certain minimum Donation amount may apply, and that all Donation payments are final and cannot be refunded. Donors agree to promptly update account information with any changes that may occur and to pay the Donation amount that you specify. Donors hereby authorize Company to bill Donors' credit cards and payment methods in advance on a periodic basis until Donors terminate periodic payments through the Platform.
Fees: Company does not charge Campaign Organizers any upfront fees for Campaigns. Company retains a portion of each Donation contributed to Campaigns in the amount of four percent (4%) ("FrontRunner Professional Fee"). A portion of the Donation is payable to our third party payment processors ("Processing Fee"). Donors acknowledge that by contributing Donations to Campaigns, Donors are agreeing to any and all applicable terms and conditions set forth by a third party payment processor, in addition to these Terms and Conditions. The portion of each Donation payable to and retained by our third party payment processors are:
• US Users ONLY: Third party payment processor charges a fee of 2.9% AND $0.30 per donation for VISA, MasterCard or Discover cards or 3.4% AND $0.30 per donation for American Express cards.
• CA Users ONLY: Third party payment processor charges a fee of 2.9% AND $0.30 per donation for VISA, MasterCard or Discover cards or 3.4% AND $0.30 per donation for American Express cards.
All Tribute Pay Fees and Processing Fees ("Fees") are deducted directly from each Donation and are not reflected in the amount which Campaign Organizers can withdraw from the Campaign. We reserve the right to change any of the Fees from time to time. If we change any of the Fees, we will provide notice of the change on the Website or otherwise, at our option, at least fourteen (14) days before the change is to take effect. Your continued use of the Services after the change in any of the Fees becomes effective constitutes your acceptance of the new Fees.
Indemnification: You agree to release, indemnify and hold Company and its affiliates and their owners, officers, employees, directors and agents harmless from any from any and all losses, damages, expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, rights, claims, causes of action, actions of any kind and injury (including death) arising out of or relating to your use of the Services, any Donation or Campaign, your violation of these Terms and Conditions or your violation of any rights of another. If you are a California resident, you waive California Civil Code Section 1542, which says: "A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS WHICH THE CREDITOR DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE, WHICH IF KNOWN BY HIM MUST HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR". To the extent you are a resident of another jurisdiction, you waive any comparable statute or doctrine
DISCLAIMER OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES: YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES MAKE NO WARRANTY THAT THE SERVICES WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THE SERVICES WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE, THE REMITTANCE OF ANY DONATION OR PORTION THEREOF TO THE BENEFICIARY OF ANY CAMPAIGNS, OR THE QUALITY OF ANY SERVICES.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT NEITHER COMPANY NOR ITS AFFILIATES WILL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, OR DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES (EVEN IF COMPANY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES), WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, RESULTING FROM THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICES, THE UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA, THE STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE SERVICES, OR ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE SERVICES. IN NO EVENT WILL COMPANY'S TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL DAMAGES, LOSSES OR CAUSES OF ACTION EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID COMPANY IN THE LAST SIX (6) MONTHS, BUT IN NO EVENT MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100).
EXCLUSIONS: SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES OR THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. ACCORDINGLY, SOME OF THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH ANY PORTION OF THE SERVICE OR WITH THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY IS TO DISCONTINUE USE OF THE SERVICE.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION - ARBITRATION (READ CAREFULLY): You agree to arbitrate all disputes and claims between you and Company (including our respective subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, employees, predecessors in interest, successors, and assigns). Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may bring an individual action in small claims court. Notice of Dispute ("Notice"). The Notice to Company should be sent to 2501 Parmenter Street, Suite 300A, Middleton, WI 53562, Attn: President, with a copy by email to support@tributepayments.com ("Notice Address"). The Notice must (i) describe the nature and basis of the claim or dispute, and (ii) set forth the specific relief sought ("Demand"). If Company and you do not reach an agreement to resolve the claim within sixty (60) days after the Notice is received, you or Company may commence an arbitration proceeding. During the arbitration, the amount of any settlement offer made by Company or you shall not be disclosed to the arbitrator until after the arbitrator determines the amount, if any, to which you or Company is entitled.
The arbitration will be governed by the Commercial Arbitration Rules and the Supplementary Procedures for Consumer Related Disputes (collectively, "AAA Rules") of the American Arbitration Association ("AAA"), as modified by this Terms and Conditions, and will be administered by the AAA. The AAA Rules are available online at adr.org, by calling the AAA at 1-800-778-7879, or by writing to the Notice Address. The arbitrator is bound by the terms of this Terms and Conditions. All issues are for the arbitrator to decide, including, but not limited to, issues relating to the scope, enforceability, and arbitrability of the arbitration provision. Unless Company and you agree otherwise, any arbitration hearings will take place in Chicago, Illinois. Regardless of the manner in which the arbitration is conducted, the arbitrator shall issue a reasoned written decision sufficient to explain the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based. YOU AND COMPANY AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. Unless both you and Company agree otherwise in writing, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding. If this specific provision is found to be unenforceable, then the entirety of this arbitration provision shall be null and void.
Introduction
BOOKOFMEMORIES.COM, including mobile applications and related services (collectively the “Site”) is fully owned and operated by FrontRunner Professional, (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our”). Company takes your privacy seriously. We feel it is important that you fully understand the terms and conditions under which we use the information we gather from you through the use of our Site. Please read this Privacy Policy ("Policy") carefully to understand how we will use and protect your Personal Information. We will not share your Personal Information with anyone except as described in this Policy. Changes to this Policy will be announced on our Site, so please check back periodically. This Policy forms part of the Company’s TERMS AND CONDITIONS and is incorporated by reference to those Terms and Conditions.
This Policy outlines Company’s general policies and practices for protecting your private information on this Site. It covers why Company collects information, the types of information it gathers, how it uses such information, and the notice and choice affected individuals have regarding Company’s use of and their ability to correct their information. This Policy applies to all personal information received by Company whether in electronic, written, or verbal format.
Company reserves the right to modify this Policy at any time and will do so from time to time. Each modification shall be effective upon its posting to the Site. Your continued use of the Site following any such modification constitutes your acceptance of any change(s) to this Policy. It is therefore important that you review this Policy regularly. If you have any questions concerning this Policy please contact Company at support@frontrunner360.com.
1. Scope
This Policy covers the Site in part and as a whole. However, it does not apply to entities that Company does not own or control, including without limitation, Campaign, advertisers or developers of content. Company may include third-party links on the Site. These third-party sites are governed by their own privacy policies and NOT this Policy. Company therefore has no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these third-party sites. Please check the privacy policy of any third-party site you interact with on or off the Site.
2. General Policy Provisions
Definitions
“Personal Information” includes both “Personally Identifiable Information” and “Non-Personally Identifiable Information”.
"Personally Identifiable Information" refers to information that lets us know the specifics of who you are and can be used to identify, contact or locate you. Personally Identifiable Information is requested when you register with us, make a Donation, correspond with us, or otherwise volunteer information, for instance, through the use of "Contact Us". Personally Identifiable Information may include, without limitation, your name, mailing address, telephone number, e-mail address, credit card number, and other identification and contact information.
"Non-Personally Identifiable Information" refers to information that does not identify a specific individual by itself or in combination with other information. We gather certain information about you based upon what you view on our Site in several ways. This information is compiled and analyzed on both a personal and an aggregated basis. This information may include the Site’s Uniform Resource Locator ("URL") that you just came from, which URL you next go to, what browser you are using, and your Internet Protocol ("IP") address. A URL is the global address of documents and other resources on the World Wide Web (‘Web”). An IP address is an identifier for a computer or device on a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol ("TCP/IP") network, such as the World Wide Web. Networks use the TCP/IP protocol to route information based on the IP address of the destination. In other words, an IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you are surfing the Web, allowing Web servers to locate and identify your computer. Computers require IP addresses in order for users to communicate on the Internet, browse and shop
“Sensitive Personal Information” means Personal Information that reveals race, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership or that concerns an individual’s health.
Notice
Company shall inform you of the purposes for which it collects and uses Personal Information and the types of non-agent third parties to which Company discloses or may disclose that information. Company shall provide you with the choice and means for limiting the use and disclosure of your Personal Information. Notice will be provided in clear and conspicuous language when you are first asked to provide Personal Information to Company, or as soon as practicable thereafter. In any event, you will receive notice before Company uses or discloses the information for a purpose other than that for which it was originally collected.
Choice
Company will offer you the opportunity to choose (opt-out) whether Personal Information is to be disclosed to a third party or to be used for a purpose other than that for which it was originally collected or has subsequently been authorized. For Sensitive Personal Information (when applicable), Company will give you the opportunity to affirmatively or explicitly consent (opt-in) to the disclosure of the information for a purpose other than that for which it was originally collected or has subsequently been authorized. Company will treat Sensitive Personal Information it receives from anyone the same as it would treat its own Sensitive Personal Information.
Security
Company shall take reasonable steps to protect Personal Information from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. No company is immune from Internet attacks or data breaches. Company cannot guarantee the security of information on or transmitted via the Internet.
Data Integrity
Company shall only process Personal Information in a way that is compatible with and relevant to the purpose for which it was collected or has been authorized. To the extent necessary for those purposes, Company shall take reasonable steps to ensure that Personal Information is accurate, complete, current, and reliable for its intended use.
How to Access Your Information
Company offers you choices for the collection, use and sharing of Personal Information. You may notify Company of your preferences, or change any Personal Information, by emailing support@frontrunner360.com. Please be sure to provide complete account information so Company can identify you in its records.
You may also stop the delivery of future promotional e-mail from Company by responding directly to any email you receive with a request to remove you from the mailing list.
3.Reasons the Company Collects Personal Information
Company collects your Personal Information because it helps deliver a superior online experience, gives you convenient access to the Site for browsing, and allows key features of the Site to function properly. In order to better provide you with this superior level of customer service, our Site collects two types of information (referred to in this policy as "Personal Information") about our visitors: Personally Identifiable Information and Non-Personally Identifiable Information. In addition, your Personal Information helps Company keep you informed about the latest announcements, special offers, and events that you might like to hear about.
4. Information Company Collects About You
Any time a guest or member (collectively “Users”) accesses the Site they receive a “cookie” from Company. Company uses cookies (small pieces of data stored for an extended period of time on a computer, mobile phone, or other device) to make the Site easier to use and to protect both you and Company. These cookies give Company certain Non-Personally Identifiable Information about your use of the Site. You may remove or block cookies using the settings in your browser, but in some cases that may impact your ability to use the Site. Company may also use pixels, widgets and other tools to gather such Non-Personally Identifiable Information to improve the experience of the website or mobile application.
Company may contract with third-party service providers to assist it in better understanding its Site Users. These service providers are not permitted to use the Non-Personally Identifiable Information collected on Company’s behalf except to help it conduct and improve its business.
When you access the Site from a computer, mobile phone, or other device, Company may collect Non-Personally Identifiable Information, which does not identify individual users, to analyze trends, to administer the site, to track users’ movements around the site and to gather demographic information about the user base as a whole. Company will not use the information collected to market directly to that person.
Company keeps track of some of the actions you take on the Site such as member profiles and pages you view. Even if you do not provide certain information, Company may obtain it from you profile or the pages of its Site that you visit. Company may retain the details of connections or transactions you make on the Site.
5. Information You Provide to Company
To become a User, Company shall collect certain Personally Identifiable Information, which you are required to provide. Information that is not required shall be deemed voluntary and you may provide such information, although not mandatory.
While using the Site, you may provide text, files, images, photos, videos, location data, or any other materials (collectively “Content”) to Company by uploading, posting, or publishing the Content on the Site. Frequently, Content you place on the Site will contain a picture of your face. Company may retain the details of connections or transactions you make on the Site.
Where applicable, when you interact with other Users on the Site, you may provide other information about yourself, such as political or topical views, religious affiliation, or marital status. Any information in a public forum is accessible by anyone, including people who are not members of the Site. Please be aware they may share information you give them with other Users you may not know. They may also share the information outside the Site without your prior approval. Company does not have control over the actions of its Users and accepts no responsibility or liability for their actions. Please keep this fact in mind when using the Site, and use care when disclosing Personal Information to other Users of the Site.
Company may also collect information from ads you click on when using the Site. Company may also keep track of links you click on in e-mails you receive from Company. This is done to increase the relevancy of the ads you see.
6. How Company Uses Your Personal Information
Company uses the information you are required to provide to become a User in order to insure you are over the age of thirteen (13). THE SITE IS NOT MEANT TO BE USED BY ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF THIRTEEN (13). If you are under thirteen, please do not attempt to register with the Site or send Company any Personal Information. Company may also use your age information to be sure you receive an age appropriate experience while using the Site.
Company will use the information it collects to provide, without limitation, services and features to you and facilitate payment for any Donations between Campaign Organizers and Donors and provide information to Campaign Organizers and Campaign beneficiaries. Company will also use the information to measure and improve the Site, and to provide you with customer support.
Company may contact you with new or updated products or services, designs, routes, surveys, or other related announcements from time to time. You may opt-out of all communications except essential updates. Company may include Content in the e-mails sent to you.
Certain software applications and applets transmit data to Company. Company may not make a formal disclosure if it believes its collection of and use of the information is the obvious purpose of the Site or its related application. If it is not obvious that Company is collecting or using such information, it will disclose its collection to you the first time you provide the information.
Company may use the information collected to prevent potential illegal activities. Company may also use a variety of methods to detect and address anomalous activity and screen content to prevent abuse.
Company may use your information to serve you personalized advertising. Company does not share your information with advertisers without your consent. Company allows advertisers to choose the characteristics of Users who will see their advertisements. Company may use any of the Non-Personally Identifiable Information it has collected in any fashion to select the appropriate audience. Company will not tell the advertiser who you are as part of this process. When you interact with an advertisement there is a possibility that you may receive a cookie from the advertiser.
7. How Company Shares Your Information
Company shares your Personal Information with third parties when it believes you have permitted such sharing, that it is reasonably necessary to offer services, or when legally required to do so. Company will not share your Personally Identifiable Information with third parties in a way that it thinks violates your privacy. The following non-exhaustive list contains examples of how Company shares or could share your information:
If Site allows you to invite a friend to join the Site or become a User, and you choose to do so, the invitation will contain information that will allow your friend to identify you. The invitation may contain information about other Users your friend might know.
Certain information you provide to Company may be shared by using the Site’s search function. This allows other Users to locate your profile and it allows new Users to find people they know on the Site.
Company provides some public information to search engines. This information allows search engines to locate the Site. It also allows people to locate you on the Site using a major search engine. This does not mean all information you post on the Site may be accessed using a search engine.
There are also times when Company may make certain Personal Information about you available to strategic partners or third parties. These companies may help Company process information, render services to you, manage and enhance customer data, provide customer service, assess your interest in products and services, or conduct research or satisfaction surveys. Without such information being made available, it would be difficult for you to use Company's Site and services.
Company may also share Personal Information when it has a good faith belief it is necessary to prevent fraud or other illegal activity, to prevent imminent bodily harm, or to protect itself and you from people violating the Terms and Conditions of the Site. This may include sharing information with other companies, lawyers, and courts or other government entities.
Company may disclose information pursuant to subpoenas, court orders, or other requests (including criminal and civil matters) if it has a good faith belief that the law requires such a response. This may include requests from jurisdictions outside of the United States if Company has a good faith belief that the response is required by law under the local laws in that jurisdiction, is applicable to users from that jurisdiction, and is consistent with generally accepted international standards.
Company may disclose analyzed data in the form of purchasing trends or statistical data. No Personally Identifiable Information will be attached to this disclosure.
8. Business or Asset Transfer or Sale
Company may be sold, sell or buy businesses or assets of businesses, or merge with another business. In such transactions, Personal Information generally is one of the transferred business assets. Also, in the event that Company, a line of business of Company, or substantially all the assets of Company are transferred, Personal Information may well be one of the transferred assets. Company will make a reasonable effort to provide notice on the Site, and to notify you via e-mail to the most recent e-mail address that you have provided of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.
9. Miscellaneous
Privacy of Children
YOU MUST BE EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OR OLDER TO ACCESS THE SITE OR USE ITS SERVICES. IF YOU ARE UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO ACCESS ANY OF COMPANY’S SERVICES FOR ANY REASON. DUE TO THE AGE RESTRICTIONS FOR USE OF COMPANY’S SITE AND SERVICES, NO INFORMATION OBTAINED BY COMPANY FALLS WITHIN THE CHILDREN’S ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT OF 1998 AND IS NOT MONITORED AS DOING SO.
Protecting children’s privacy is especially important to Company. Company does not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under 13, but because some information is collected electronically, it can appear to be the Personal Information of someone over the age of 13, and will be treated as such by this Policy. If a child under 13 submits Personal Information and Company learns that Personal Information pertains to a child under 13, it will attempt to delete the information as soon as possible. It is Company’s policy to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 and all other applicable laws. Therefore, Company restricts the Site and all other provided services to persons 18 years or older.
Agreement with Policy and Continued Use of Site
Unless stated otherwise, Company’s current Policy applies to all information that Company has about you, your account, and access to the Site. By using the Site, you consent to this Policy and having your Personal Information and data transferred and processed as described.
Obituary
Growing up in Calgary, Linda was ever active and excelled at a multitude of sports over the years including trampoline, skiing, gymnastics, riding horses, basketball, diving, baseball, snowboarding, cycling and mountain biking. She also loved ALL animals including her many pets growing up as well as the farm animals she befriended when visiting relatives across the prairies. As a young girl her love of photography developed while pouring over her geologist father’s photographs especially those taken during his trips to the Amazon. A National Geographic coffee table book on the same subject left an impression on young Linda, planting a dream based on her own travels that would be realized later in life.
She was an excellent student and graduated as a civil engineer from the University of Calgary. After working for the oil industry (like everyone in Calgary) she decided instead she wanted to become an environmental engineer. This eventually led her to Vancouver in 1994 and a career at Environment Canada. Her commitment, ability and leadership were valued by her work colleagues as was her wit and talent to turn the most boring work meeting or training session into an enjoyable and productive event.
Always curious about the world, she spent two years travelling around the globe to Southeast Asia, China, Australia, India, Turkey, and Africa. Upon returning to Vancouver, she found time for ultimate frisbee, mountain bike polo, ice hockey, and dragon boat racing all while bike commuting across the metro region. On weekends and holidays, she began to embrace wilderness pursuits especially hiking, backcountry skiing and sea kayaking. As she met more friends through the outdoors, longer and more ambitious adventures followed, including expeditions to the remote parts of the Coast Mountains and St Elias Mountains. Her early interest in photography and skill in storytelling gradually translated into a new life pursuit, as she began to publish stories and photos as well as give entertaining presentations to share her travels to these special places with a wider community.
It was inevitable that Linda would find her adventure soulmate and partner, with John. Their first date was a two-week kayak trip in Haida Gwaii, and they quickly became an inseparable duo. Their affection, deep connection, and profound love for each other was magic to witness and inspirational to many. Together they intertwined a huge community and continued to build a vast array of friendships and trip partners. Over the past two decades they have shared an extraordinary life of adventure, inspired many others to embark on their own adventures near and far, and built a legacy of environmental advocacy work. On foot and skis, they’ve explored countless high meadows and snow-covered peaks in British Columbia and further north, all while documenting their experiences with tens of thousands of photographic images.
Given both Linda’s and John’s talents for photography, writing and sharing, it was not surprising that the culmination of their many long ski mountaineering traverses and summer alpine trips is their co-authored book of stunning photos and thought-provoking essays: Soul of Wilderness- Mountain Journeys in Western BC and Alaska. It was an ambitious project and the proud achievement of a lifelong dream for Linda to publish this collection and so adeptly share the wild beauty she so deeply appreciated everywhere around her. As well as a talented photographer and writer Linda was also an excellent presenter. With John she gave numerous presentations to outdoor clubs in BC about their book. And as a solo act she was known to keep a packed theatre both spellbound with her photographs and story telling one moment and howling with laughter the next.
Linda was especially known for her deep love of the earth, innate curiosity and thirst for knowledge and new experiences. She adored winter and all that came with it – snow (especially deep pow), ice, and glaciers. She was a beautiful, smooth, technical skier – The “Bily Bomber”. She equally loved summer – with paddling, beach walks and hiking though mountain meadows full of colourful wildflowers. She was one never to pass up the opportunity for a skinny dip in an alpine tarn. She shared her enthusiasm for the outdoors by educating others about the environment and helping others to develop their skills – teaching kayaking and telemark skiing as just two of many examples – she was an inspiration and role model to many. Linda was generous and incredibly thoughtful, always willing to invest time and energy into her many relationships.
Linda delighted in having more time with her mom in recent years after she had moved from Dawson Creek to Vancouver. More gentle adventures around the city sustained her while she faced numerous health challenges. In the harder times, she confronted difficulties with incredible courage, inner strength, and fierce determination. Together with John and her many friends, she found joy in beach picnics, playing guitar on music nights, paddling in local waters, biking, swimming, multiple daily walks, and teaching Dudley a growing array of clever new tricks. She spent countless hours making heartfelt tribute books and photo collages for friends and family.
She was a huge dynamo in a little frame – smart, funny, athletic, strong, and determined. She could start a conversation with anyone and instantly form a connection. She showed boundless energy and infectious enthusiasm for life. Always dressed in bright colors, she was forever smiling, loved to be silly and to make people laugh. She has touched so many with her brilliant light and joyful heart.
“Being in the wilderness is about moving your soul over the landscape and using your imagination to connect with it through your heart” – Linda Bily
“It’s (the Switzerland sized snowfields of the Coast Mountains) like the Alps, but with no pastry shops” – Also, Linda Bily
There will be a celebration of life on June 17, Linda’s birthday, to honour a very loved and beautiful soul.
As were her wishes, Linda was cremated May 26, 2022.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to West Coast Environmental Law (https://www.wcwel.org) or the Pembina Institute (https://www.pembina.org).
Celebration of Life
A Celebration of Life for Linda Bily was held June 17, 2022.
The spoken words from the celebration of life are copied below:
Speakers were: Wendy Bily, John Baldwin, Brent Bily, Robyn Dell, Mary Hearnden, Peter Pare, Diana Diaconu, Rhiannon Johnson, Dora Calvori, Victor Anderson , Lisa Baile
WENDY BILY
Service for Linda Bily
June 17, 2022
Words of Welcome
As Lisa has said, I am Linda’s cousin, one of the many of Linda’s Bily family, all of whom join me in grieving Linda’s loss. I am also a retired U.C. minister and John has asked if I would help us thru this first part of our time together today remembering Linda, giving thanks for her life but also trying to cope with our many different feelings.
I’m glad we’ve come together because we can draw strength from each other in the sharing of our gratitude for her life and our deep sadness at her death.
Scripture
I will have met some of you 11 years ago at Linda and John’s wedding, when we celebrated at the lodge in the Callaghan Valley. On that joyful occasion, they chose this passage from the Bible to be read—about love. Love is not only for weddings and marriage, but in all its complexity is the mystery that holds us together as community, even now in the face of death. So let me read that for us.
“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. ...For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”
Reflections
I imagine that, like for me, the news of Linda’s death was a huge shock. A flood of different emotions came: ‘if onlys’ (why didn’t I make more of an effort to be in touch, did I do enough to help, to listen?), maybe some confusion, even anger, and deep sadness at the loss of her many gifts and her very presence.
Perhaps one day we will understand more about anxiety and depression; perhaps we will understand more of the complexity of the human spirit, and perhaps one day we will even understand the depths of the human soul.
How is it that someone with such a deep connection with the soul of wilderness (to quote a certain book!), with beauty, with animals and people, who loved deeply and was loved—how is it that the path forward could narrow so much that finally it led only to the relief of death? For today, with our limited understanding, it is a mystery and we are left with wilderness, beauty and love to comfort us.
I dipped back into Linda and John’s book, Soul of Wilderness, this week and put before you their thoughts and experience that soul is sacred and in my words ‘full of love’. That soul/ that love is infused through the universe. We experience it in a drop of water, or the vast expanse of a glacier, the soft fur of a beloved pet like Dudley, in the caress of a lover, time with a friend or beloved family.
Opening our eyes to that love is one of the gifts that Linda’s life offers us/ opening our hearts to that soul is one of the gifts she has given us. To honour her, to carry forward that soul love is a gift we, in turn, can offer each other.
[invite folks to stand/move to urn] Let us close this part of our time together with these words by the poet Kahlil Gibran in his book “The Prophet”. Let it be our blessing on Linda’s soul as she continues in our love:
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
Peace be with you Linda. Amen.
JOHN BALDWIN
Linda always said you should start a presentation with something funny. I must admit given the circumstances that it took me a while to
come up with something funny.
Since I’m going to show you some photos, I decided I should tell you the story behind one of the photos since it is not obvious when you see the photo.
You will recognize the photo because there are balloons and Linda is riding her bike wearing a pink panther costume. How many of you have ever ridden your bike wearing a pink panther costume?
The occasion behind the photo was the opening of the bike lane on Pt Grey Road in 2014. When Linda discovered that one of the events for opening day was a costume contest on your bike she was out the door in a flash wearing a fleece pink panther Halloween costume complete with tail that her mother had made for her when she was 10.
At 49 she could still get into the costume though you will see that it only comes to just below her knees now.
She was up against stiff competition from batman and fairy (the only other people in the contest). You can see fairy in the photograph. I’d say she was about 4. Batman was perhaps 5.
In the end the judges decided that Linda was the winner of the contest. So as not to upset batman or fairy they declared them winners and gave them each some candy and then quietly awarded the gift certificate for first prize to Linda.
One of the hardest things I have ever had to do is to tell all of you what happened to Linda. Everyone literally said “I don’t know what to say.” And then, between tears, you would add, she was such a bright light, a beautiful soul.
Linda lived life to its fullest. She laughed, she loved, she cried. She loved life.
She wrote in an anniversary card to me that “Every day is a day to celebrate together.”
She was curious about everything. She revelled in the beauty around her. One friend remarked that by the time Linda was in her 20s she had experienced more than many do in an entire lifetime.
We all loved her. And there are no words to describe how much we will miss her. The line from a well-known Simon and Garfunkel song comes to mind:
“If I never loved, I never would have cried.”
I have put together photos of Linda that I would like to share with you. I’m sure you will notice that she is smiling and having fun in almost every photograph. Her joy was infectious and she touched us all.
Her last words to me were “I will love you forever”
And my reply to her now is the same: Linda, I will love you forever.
(Followed by 10 minute slideshow to music)
BRENT BILY
My Amazing Sister
Growing up as Linda’s big brother, we shared many new life experiences together. Many of these experiences would shape what Linda would enjoy and value in life, and ultimately become her passions in life.
In nearly every experience that both Linda and I tried out and enjoyed, Linda reached further, went higher and became more committed than I or most others. I’d like to share a few of these experiences and memories with you.
As kids, Linda and I loved to play in the snow!!
We’d make snow angels in freshly fallen snow and build snow forts and tunnels in the huge mounds of snow piled high by Dad shoveling the driveways of Dawson Creek, Edmonton and Calgary. We took our first ski lessons at Paskapoo, long before it became Olympic Park and shared our first family ski trips to Fortress mountain, SunShine and Lake Louise. Of course Linda’s passion for skiing went further than mine with her pursuit and adventures in backcountry skiing on her many winter wilderness mountain expeditions.
Linda and I love playing in the ocean!!
As kids we spent many family vacations in California, Mexico and Hawaii, on warm sunny beaches building sand castles, collection shells and swimming or snorkeling in the surf. She continued on to live next to the ocean, to do much sea kayaking and to travel to many oceans around the world.
These family trips also fostered our shared love of travel!
One of my most precious memories and adventures was when I traveled to Kenya, where I joined Linda for a safari on the Masi Mara, visited the Ngorongoro Crater and climbed Kilimanjaro. Of course my 2 week excursion paled in comparison to her nearly 2 year long expansive trek across much of Africa, India, Pakistan and Asia.
Linda and I love animals!!
As kids we had many pets including, but not limited to mice, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs and a big fat tabby cat named Tiger. Again Linda’s love of animals continued and she went on to pursue equestrian riding and jumping a horse named Clipper, with whom she won many ribbons. She also recently adopted Dudley whom she loved very much.
Linda and I love the beauty of the mountains!!
There were also many family trips to Banff, the Columbia Icefeilds and Jasper and much of the Rockies. Linda’s passion for the mountains took her to hike and trek many of the most majestic mountain ranges around the world.
Linda and I both enjoy music!!
We both took piano lessons. This was fostered by Dad’s passion for playing the piano. Linda went on to take lessons on the drums and guitar and I learned that she continued to play the guitar.
These are just a handful of things we both loved and experienced together in our early years and had continued to enjoy in our own ways.
Perhaps most of all, Linda and I loved our family and friends. Mom and Dad took us on yearly road trips to visit family in BC and across the prairies. We got to know our aunts, uncles and many cousins on both sides of the family. Mom and Dad were great at keeping in contact with family by writing letters and having regular phone calls. Linda of course had actively maintained connections, something I aspire to.
Although I am her big brother, it is me that is looking up to her, and admiring her ever growing achievements in the many passions of her life.
As I reflect on all of the amazing memories together, it is only because of the love and dedication of our parents, Chuck and Marlene (or Maggie as she likes to be called now) and how they encouraged us to try out so many things and provided us the opportunities to do so. These experiences would foster many of Linda’s and mine lifelong passions.
I thank Mom and Dad for giving so much of themselves to Linda and I.
Thank you Mom.
Linda, I love you!
You will be greatly missed.
ROBYN DELL
Hi John
Thanks to you and Rachel for the ski and coming for dinner last night. There are so many more things I wanted to say this week, but the timing wasn't right.
Yesterday was a surreal day. It just felt like Linda was unable to join us for the day. I kept thinking of how much she would have loved the mini ski day. Linda is going to be on many people's minds as we go on doing the things that she loved to do- enjoying nature by skis or foot.
I have so many memories of Linda. We first met her at the BCMC 100th anniversary dinner. She bounced over to me with a big smile and introduced herself. She was so friendly.
She was truly inspiring. I admired her love of adventure and her seeming fearlessness heading out on some huge adventures e.g. her long ski and hiking traverses with you, her traverse of Baffin Island, Mt. Logan attempt, international travels and the list goes on. She was always so kind and non-judgmental towards me and my slower pace and much lesser experience.
She was a huge dynamo in a little form- smart, funny, athletic, strong and always easy to talk to. A real role model in the outdoor world. Linda truly had the best smile and laugh and was just so darn cute! We always laugh when we talk of the Bridge traverse and her wandering around taking photos at the different tarns while wearing her sunhat, fanny pack, yellow crocks and nothing else. Was there ever a tarn swim that Linda passed up?
She was always so kind and interested in what others were up to and always thoughtful. I loved her curious mind. She was always a seeker of more knowledge. I will miss hearing about her latest discoveries and interests and our conversations.
I especially remember her for her love and engagement with nature and her joy in sharing her experiences with others. Her love of the geography, the animals ( especially the bears!), and always snow, skiing and tarn swimming. All of this she seemed to best enjoy when spending it with you and anyone of her huge group of friends.
Most of all the love you two shared and your relationship defined her. I always picture you two curled up on the armchair or couch together at journeyman lodge or under a tarp sharing lunch on a snowy ski day. I am so sad for the both of you that there aren't more years ahead of those moments.
There are a lot of grieving people right now. I think we all wish there is something we could have done to help. I'm really sad that her suffering was so great.
It's still unfathomable what you must be feeling and the loss that you are experiencing. Linda was one of a kind and a very special person and the loss of her is profound.
We're thinking of you John and if ever you would like some people to join you for adventures or just a simple conversation, we're here to do so.
As Linda would say,
hugs,
Robyn
Xo
MARY HEARNDEN
Linda is my birthday twin. We were born 2 days apart in 1965. While I was super lucky to spend lots of time skiing and hiking with Linda (and also John), it’s the swimming episodes I will remember best. We shared a love of the water.
Often, we’d meet up in the city for a dunk in the ocean or a swim at Kits pool. She’d bring her bright pink bathing cap and goggles so she could explore everything underwater. There was one warm evening we went for a picnic and swim when the tide was fairly low at Spanish Banks. We walked way out to get to deep enough water. She interacted with all the paddle boarders and kayakers floating by. Linda talked about that swim so many times afterwards – it just made her so happy.
Other times we’d walk down to Wreck beach and walk along the shore, or she’d invite me to go paddling at Jericho and we’d stop to swim out on the sand flats. She always brought along her colourful layers of clothing – jackets, shirts, and hats in pink, orange, red, yellow, purple and aqua blue. Sometimes she found things in various pockets that she had squirreled away. Linda often saved treats for later when we were on trips in the mountains, only to find them much later when they’d gone stale.
There are two types of people in the world, those who will jump in an alpine tarn no matter what the temperature, and all the others. Linda and John fall into the former category of course. My favourite memories are of tarn swimming together on summer trips. We’d eagerly anticipate the next opportunity to swim especially on hot days, even though some of these spots are filled with frigid glacial water. Our clothes would quickly be stripped off and we’d be hooting and splashing around with joy, floating on our backs, taking in the sky views, and the surrounding mountain and meadow scenery.
I came across a quote recently by the English poet Lord Byron: To have joy, one must share it.
That’s what I will always remember, Linda’s joy in sharing life’s best moments. And for me that includes all the times we swam together.
PETER PARE
Lisa and I had the privilege of doing four two weeklong summer traverses in the Coast Range Mountains with Linda and John. These magical trips spent with Linda in the mountains are highlights in our lives.
Linda was the most joyful and fun mountain companion.
Invariably our trips began with a stop at a thrift store on our route to the wilderness. The purpose of this stop was to select the most colourful silk apparel for the coming trip.
As you know Linda, besides being the most photogenic person in the known universe as you have just witnessed in John’s amazing slide show, was also an outstanding photographer and she liked to have a vibrant colourful foreground and we were the foreground.
So the first pictures of our trips were usually posed fashion statements outside the changing room of some thrift store on our route.
The four magical skyline traverses took us from Owikeeno Lake to Seymour Inlet, around the headwaters of the Kingcome river in search of the perfect tarn, from Toba Inlet to Jervis Inlet along the Powell divide, and from Jump Across Creek on Dean Channel to Talheo cannery on North Bentinck arm near Bella Coola. It was an idyllic wild world, no trails, no people, only goats, bears, marmots, and pica, abundant wildflowers, winding glaciers, and snowcapped ridges.
Once in the mountains Linda shed her city life and slipped into the rhythm mountain time. She was most at home in her little backpacking tent, slogging up snowy ridges or fording raging creeks. She loved to strip off for dips in Ice cold tarns or for wild showers below roaring water falls.
She was funny, playful, and full of life.
Linda was strong and fast in the mountains. We couldn’t keep up with her and John. But she loved her tent time in the morning and she would often sleep in, so we would sometimes get a head start to try to keep ahead of them. But they would always catch up to us at some tarn or spectacular viewpoint for lunch. Once they turned up with severely sunburnt bottoms….too much tarn-time enroute!
The memories of those trips are etched in my mind and central to those memories is Linda, in her element, moving across the landscape. This is how I will remember her….until we meet again at the perfect tarn.
DIANA DIACONU
Linda, Linda, Linda, dear Linda,
So many happy moments we shared together. The colour pink gained new meaning through you and always brought and will continue to bring up some giggling image of you.
You made a difference in so many people’s lives, often without even being aware of it. Just how different would things be for me had I not met you, had I not shared a tent with you on unforgettable trips, navigating in whiteouts, sheltering from storms, shovelling and laughing. Always cheerful, never giving up, you were the Queen of the Coast Range, so strong and skilled, talented and beautiful.
Linda, I can’t even imagine how much you’ve been struggling. I’ve been to that dark place myself, where you start focusing on the wrong end of the tunnel. It is an extremely lonely and scary place, regardless how much surrounded you are by others and their love. It is a deep persistent weak layer you tiptoe around sometimes, never ever wanting it to release. It is very hard to ask for help. And a cry for help may sound anything but. We are all vulnerable at times, but we do not want to look or sound vulnerable.
It is my hope, Linda, that your passing will, too, make a difference, in the lives you touched, in our community, in the way we’ll care about ourselves and others, in our awareness of mental health issues. You were too important to us to not do something about it, as small as it may be on an individual level, if only to better self-care and educate ourselves on this subject. I believe this is what you would do yourself, Linda, and would want us to do.
I’ve been reliving a lot of happy moments lately, been crying and smiling at the same time and falling asleep thinking of you. Thank you for all the great memories. I’ll never forget you, Linda.
RHIANNON JOHNSON
Hello Everyone.
Hi Linda.
It’s great to see so many people at this celebration – Linda would have wanted to be here in person – she loved people and parties!
Linda knew you.. You must all be amazing. I want to know you all… Let me have a show of hands…
Linda loved outdoor adventures – who has been on a trip with Linda – whether a day hike, an English Bay paddle, an evening of skiing or a two-week glacier traverse?
Linda had the eyes of a camera – she noticed all the details in the moment and would bring a honkin big (and heavy) camera on her self-propelled trips – I loved the pictures she took, they captured so much -- Who ever had their picture taken by Linda?
I remember Linda as energetic and sparkly, able to tell a good story and make you laugh – who has ever laughed with Linda?
I have a couple of stories. I first met Linda a couple of decades ago. She’d joined the same Environmental Engineering program a year behind me. So I knew her but didn’t hang out with her – she was busy with her full-time school and then in her spare moments skiing, kayaking, or hiking.
But then.. tragedy struck .. she popped a knee, had to have surgery, and wasn’t allowed to move for weeks. That was NOT her style – she needed to mooooove!
Before the popped knee, she’d complain about having too much energy and being restless even after biking to the North Shore, going for a hike, then going for a swim at UBC. We called her the Everready Bunny…
So she popped her knee. She was really bummed out… I went and visited her in her recovery nest at home strewn with books and ice packs and made her balloon animals to cheer her up – that’s when we became friends. Not letting a blown knee stop her, she soon after decided to try out for and was invited to join the Vancouver Dragon Boat team and she was part of getting the team to the World Champions in China and winning!
She was a big influence and encourager for me becoming a solid backpacker. I went on a bunch of trips with her and others, and learned a lot and got confident.
I decided to walk the Pacific Crest Trail which goes from the Mexican Border to the Canadian Border. Now the PCT is thousands of km and the first 800 km or so is in the desert. After the desert come the Sierra Mountains where you transition into high-altitude passes, lots of up and down, and the real danger and complication of snow. The blogs said you needed crampons and ice axes and you had to know about avalanches and self-arrest. And I was terrified of this. I asked her to teach me about self-arrest. We went to a hill at Jericho in the pouring rain, wearing yellow rain slickers and carrying our ice axes and we practiced slow motion sliding down the grass and self arresting. We got muddy. We then graduated to snow up on Cypress. It was the best way to learn!
But I was still terrified of the snow in the Sierras. I begged her to meet me to start the Sierras with me. I needed her as a security blanket. She knew snow. She agreed. A few days before she was to come out, she asked me what she could bring. I’d been sweating in the desert for 6 weeks – I said mangos. She arrived with a duffel full of mangos and other fresh veggie treats which we devoured – it was heavenly!
So when we set out, water was still hard to come by even though we were climbing into the mountains. But a couple of days in, we came to our first alpine lake and couldn’t resist jumping in to wash off the layer of dust that had followed us. That started our first bad daily habit. We dubbed ourselves the Canadian Polar Bear Naked Swim Team and took to stripping down and jumping in whatever frigid stream or lake that we came across.
When we finally got to the first snowy pass – we had spent days looking at it get bigger and bigger until we were at the foot of it and it loomed up a half-day’s walk above us. Did I mention that I’m scared of heights? Linda, sweet Linda, was so patient as she talked my trembling hyperventilating self finger-walking the uphill rock face switchbacks to the pass. And then, Sweet Linda, she didn’t laugh as she talked me through the 10 feet of slushy but solid snow that the trail passed through, my ice axe at the ready. Up and over was clear of snow and cresting the 14,000 mumble feet pass, we came across, not glaciers and snowfields and postholing and hypothermia, and not snow blindness and the risk of sliding off the mountain, but a path clear of snow and blocked by…. A naked guy holding a strategically-placed ukulele …
… who informed us it was indeed Naked Hiking Day….
Did you know that was even a thing? Summer solstice… Naked Hiking Day… put it in your calendar.
So what did we do? We were on top of the world, taking our break from our big climb up, catching our breath from the lack of oxygen, and being serenaded by a naked guy with a ukulele…. On Naked Hiking Day!
Now back to our habit of stripping down and jumping in lakes and streams. This daily event tended to attract attention and we soon had two more on our Team , The Canadian Polar Bear Naked Swim Team –called 007 and Cheerleader. Now these are odd names – they’re trail names – everyone gets one when they’re hiking the trail. But Linda didn’t have one. And she needed one.
So some people are attracted to gold, some to diamonds, but it’s other things that sparkled for Linda – namely snow, ice, and polar bears so she decided to call herself Polar Bear as a trail name. And so us four covered 100s of km of the Sierras together.
And when Linda finally left us to go back to Vancouver, that first day without her, the three of us were so morose.. even snippy towards each other.. we missed her cheery chatter, and the brightness she brought to the day. At the end of that long day of hiking, we realized that we needed to hold a memorial of her absence. And around a small campfire, we all three shared the memories and the qualities that we appreciated about her and her time with us. That helped… .. As I hope this will help…
I can get lost in my memories of that trip and others and of our in-town adventures and just the constant knowing that she was there for me to listen to my troubles and to give me a cheerful nudge.
I wish I had that back.
I have been wondering…. What if I’d sent her an email or left a cheerful phone message – what if I’d reached out – would it have made a difference, would it have altered her path? I also imagine that a great number of people here have been asking themselves that too…. We can’t really know.
But what I do know is that Linda valued her friends and family, regardless of how close you were with her. And she would want that same love for you and the friends and family that surround you. So what I take from grieving Linda’s passing is that we need to remember who we are now and to treasure those around us.
To give them a smile, a listening ear, a twinkling eye, a hug – Polar Bear style - cause that’s what Linda would have wanted.
VICTOR ANDERSON
My Dear Linda,
Albany, 6-1/ 2022
It is early and the ache that is so often with me is waking me early and finding words to express the many things made clearer by knowing you, Linda. I am compelled to thank you for life’s burning realities brought nearer than I would ever have asked for or managed to meet. Our time together is simply precious and the loss of you is so hard to bear for my self and I see it in my family.
I miss you painfully. This loss touches and brings forward my many other losses. The reason you left is because the pain you endured and had to hide was just too much. I imagine your inner resources, and your people, your family and friends, however much we wanted to, could not touch that pain enough. Sadly we could not understand enough, or make space to hold it with you to relieve that primal ache. In a kind and forgiving way I wish to say this.....
” All of us were not able to hear and make some sense of it together in a way which would have eased it and allowed you to stay.”
I am sorry through and through, and I take on the responsibility for my failure. You are teaching me to make the effort and to reach to those who are in my life and want to be met, touched and understood.
Dear Linda - Your book “Soul of the Wilderness”, the combined voice of wonder during many arduous and heavenly trips. I often speak privately to your spirit and invite you to come and rest here with me a while because I fear your roaming in despair, and I know I have this openness and time to shelter your spirit. From this mortal world I wish for you to find oasis of care and remembrance. Let it be here, now to share and rest together a while. It relieves my ache to invite you here. You are surely not gone. Not in any way can I blame you or judge your actions. You
are pulling forth life from my resistance toward my own life. You are making me face my pain and accept my ache to simply let life in. “Come in life” here now, as you are.
It was Walt Whitman’s birthday May 31st and there was public reading. My dearest Dharma teacher celebrates his poem “Song of Myself” every year now for decades. A piece from from chapter 6:
“What do you think has become of the young and old (who have passed) ?
And what do you think has become of he women and children ? (who have passed).
They are alive and well somewhere,
The smallest sprout shows there is no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it.
And ceased the moment life appeared.
And goes on outward and onward, nothing collapses.
And to die is different from what anyone supposes, and luckier.
7 ) Has anyone supposed it is lucky to be born?
I hasten to inform him or her it is just as lucky to die, and I know it.
I pass death with the dying and birth with the new wash’d babe
and I am not contained between my hat and my boots.
And peruse manifold objects, no two alike and every one good. The earth good, and the stars good and their adjuncts all good.”
So Dear Linda - I’m remembering the many long winding and intimate calls and conversations which would not have occurred if the lines that connect us through the feelings of love, struggle and wonder were not strongly there.. Your leaving us caused a huge response, and the response has brought more connection and life. It showed me the extent of the web which held us. Loosing you has derailed me for a time, and has touched many more people!!! The web is large, I tell you. Thank you for your nature love which I share. Thank you for the wondrous book on wilderness. Thank you for the stories and feeling toward family!! Thank you mostly for reaching to me, sharing your spark, and trusting me to hear and hold pieces of your struggle and joys.
We have had heart to heart talks since we met when I was 33 or so. I know it was a shock to hear suddenly as an adult that you had an older brother out there somewhere. After the shock wore off you embraced me and we found a common love of wilderness, though my journeys were quieter ones than your grand journeys. I had a dream to combine our journey ways and invite you to a meditative approach to the wilds. You lived it anyway. My wish did not have the conditions to really happen, but I do not forget it.
We found consolation in sharing the hard events and the people that were shaping our lives, and encouraged each other. We found gladness to hear of good events and got to know of the significant people in each of our lives. Sometimes a long time would pass between calls and we would carry on from where we were, and dive into the pressing need of the moment.
Linda, by being with you all the aching parts in my life are touched and partly relieved. I want this reflection to reach out to our wider network of people and touch their ache of loss with the balm of community and the faith that all is really OK, in a very large sense. I want each of us to sense the larger fabric of connection we are actually living in, and to open to some more mystery, to allow all feelings more space and expression. I hold and believe that it is the only way to create the world of loving and inclusion that we all need. This loving open aspiration will hold our individual heart ache with enough strength and tenderness to relieve it so we can breathe deeper. Then we fear life less and express our brilliance and vision.
Your Half Brother,
In love and Blessing,
Victor ———————————————————————————
Now I wish to speak to all Linda’s community and family,
I am here to relieve my ache and to honor your connection with Linda. I write to express to those at this celebration of Linda’s vibrant life that she had a brother, somewhat distant, but real. We shared a kind of secret life that meant a lot to me. It brought closeness and clarity to my history as adopted child of Maggie and half brother to Brent and blood related to a larger family. It expanded and healed a part of me I did not know was there!
Here also I can share my understanding of the ache. I carried a lifelong hard ball in my gut. It seemed to be the source of a greyness covering over my entire view of the world. Four years ago I knew I did not want to end my time with this ball and this greyness still in me. I wanted to love better and to open it up , to wake up!!!! So I vowed to open it up and feel what was there. I meditated more, I did ceremonies, I did breathwork and dared to feel some terrible things without falling into the feeling or being taken over with hopelessness. The tight ball responded with burning fear. Oh shit..... It was purification time for me.
I kept feeling and allowing this world of heaviness that was all previously held down. Now it showed me its negative and heavy moods and deflated my motivation and vision for a good future. I understand Linda has sought and found the lofty states of heart and natural beauty as I did.
My own explanation is that, for her, an unexplainable opening of the heart burst on the scene as showed her the possibility of greater human warmth and connection to life. It showed her also the real danger of loosing wilderness at this time. The wild world can be saved through the greater human connection.
I know many people go through a spiritual hell as the heaviness part of the awakening expresses itself. It is a lonely journey on the way to a deeper healing. I believe that Linda woke up, in a way she could not go back, and was reaching for greater life and warmth. I am talking about a very strong dark night. With people who know this phenomena and have spiritual guides and can summon inner strength and faith, one gets through it to a rare maturity. I believe Linda had opened up to this and did amazing work to grapple, to reach out and to get thru. Her writing and photography and willing heart were evidence that it was really her nature to love the world. The passage thru, even with loving professional help, became just too much. Then in a moment we lost her.
Loosing such a dear one going through a dark night means also we loose the new born person who can show us all what it is to love deeper and to let go of an egoistic identity. I grieve the loss of who Linda was becoming even brighter. Her awakening will continue. Her influence will be with me always.
I acknowledge everyone of you here for your love and your wondrous adventures with Linda. I smile for every trip or walk of sharing that you have had with her. Maggie and Chuck brought her physical body here in love and hope. We who care for her have all created the web which held her joy and expression.
I want to offer my blessing to all. May the grief be lighter and may she visit each of us may times until we are each satisfied that she is OK and on her way. May we know that her care for us is just as it was, sweet and bubbling and ready for another adventure. Her care from the other side is there and touching, maybe guiding, always present. For now she is everywhere.
Warmly,
Victor Anderson
LISA BAILE
Hey Linda!
Remember those wild times, Those carefree summer Mountain days You, a Child of Nature, Child of the Wild A fountain of fun
Sparkling, effervescent, joyful Hiking the ridges, scaling the peaks
Hey Linda
Look at you!
Arms flung wide atop a boulder Balanced in a yoga pose Mountain girl, go-getter, skier Lover of winter’s powdered slopes Carving sinuous semicircles in the snow
Hey Linda
Women of the wild Wet Coast Water cascading on your skin Raindrops glisten on your nose Yeah Water baby! Wave paddler River wader, Tarn splasher Swimmer of alpine lakes
Linda
Your bright side, light side
So richened my life
Know that
You will always be close to my heart
END
That is the last of our speakers. The family would like to thank all of you for coming. Now to end the ceremony I would like all of you to turn to the person on either side of you and give each of them a hug. And to think of Linda while you are doing this.
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