Linda G Bethel
Linda Bethel Obituary
Linda Gail Bethel (nee Eckstrom), age 73, passed away August 6, 2025 at Kaiser hospital Redwood City, CA. Linda was born on April 8,1952 in Los Angeles, CA.
Linda is survived by her mother Martha Eckstrom, two sisters Karen Eckstrom and Sandra Dexter, two brothers Michael Eckstrom and David Eckstrom, her spouse Glen Bethel, and two daughters Cass Bethel and Mae Bethel, her aunt Joyce Mason as well as several cousins and nieces and nephews.
Linda was a graduate of Cal State Northridge and has a masters from the Pacific Lutheran Seminary in Berkeley.
Linda moved to Wisconsin in 1986 worked for the University of Wisconsin Madison physics dept. She spent her leisure hours riding her bike and camping weather permitting, and generally enjoying the Wisconsin outdoors. During that period she completed the RAGBRI bike ride across Iowa twice.
After returning to Northern California (East Palo Alto) in 1988 she was employed at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in faculty support technical management and retired 27 years later.
On September 1st 1990 she married Glen Bethel and they have two daughters, Mae born March 1992, and Cass born November 1994. During the years raising the kids there was always an annual trip to Wisconsin by motorhome where Glen’s family resides. Never traveling directly but as far North as Banff, Canada and South to the Pecos River in New Mexico, and of course, multiple points in between. An education on wheels with a lesson in patience. Always her family was the center of her life.
Linda had a lifelong love of reading. Many topics fascinated her from Buddist philosophy and religion to finding the mother tree in the Sierras, to detective novels by Tony Hillerman , and more recently political lore of the darker times we live in, plus of course poetry.
Linda especially appreciated poetry and wrote her whole life. Aunt Joyce was a particular admirer and has an extensive collection, perhaps to share when the time is right.
Music appreciation was foremost. She paid for her own piano lessons from her allowance growing up. Not only an accomplished player, but her musical theory was first rate, as were her compositions. She even took cello lessons before retiring so she could play Bach’s cello suites when she retired. She acheived her goal.
Linda was beloved by all who knew her, and she will be deeply missed. Here are a couple of here favorite Charities listed below if you like to donate in her honor.
Planned Parenthood and ACLU
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