Linda Fay Strader

Strader, Linda Fay, 61, of Northridge, passed away Friday, August 5, 2016 after a lengthy, courageous battle with many health issues. There was nothing more that Linda enjoyed than driving the school bus and taking care of "her kids". Linda was very actively involved with the "Kids Club" in Northridge, to provide kids safe, fun activities to keep them out of trouble and to interest them in learning about church. She was the Queen of all things arts and crafts, and she loved the color purple. Linda was a beautiful soul. She truly was a special woman and so many others along with her family got to experience that as well. A few of the common things people have said over the years that most accurately describe her are:

1) She had a huge heart – This woman would quite literally give you the shirt off of her back if you were in need. If she thought you were down or depressed, she made sure to give you a hug and let you know everything would be ok. It didn't matter if it was me having a hard time, or a complete stranger…her reaction was the same.

2) She didn't know a stranger – If you've ever had the chance to meet my mother, you know that she loved to talk. However, she almost never spoke about herself. She loved getting to know people and make them feel special.

3) She loved "her kids" – While most people would read that and think, "everybody does", her kids weren't just my sister and I. Her kids were every kid she got to meet. There are countless kids she drove to school over the years that she took the time to get to know and try to become part of their lives. She had the most genuine love for making kids feel special and doing everything she could to make sure every kid she met knew she was there for them and that she cared. She even championed a kids event called "Kids Club" for local kids to do arts, crafts, and play games to give them a positive after school activity to learn and have fun instead of getting into trouble.

4) She was everybody's biggest fan – whether it was her own kids, or someone she just met, she was your loudest fan in the stands at every event. Whether you liked it or not, she was going to cheer for you in the most embarrassing fashion as a kid. As an adult, I am very thankful that she continued to be my biggest fan, just in a slightly different fashion. She was always providing encouragement when times were tough and the odds seemed to be against me.

5) She loved you unconditionally- This is the summation of all of the others, but she really did love everyone as if she was their mother. She was very easy to make proud…simply do the best you can with the hand you're dealt, and try to do the right thing by God and your family. She understood that nobody is perfect and that we all make mistakes, but so long as you were trying, she would be your biggest fan and provide you support and encouragement along the way.

She is survived by her husband of over 38 years, Edgar; her children, Casey Strader, Kelli Strader; her grandbabies whom she loved more than anything in the world, Landon and Allison; her cousins, Roy Bush , Elaine Foote and Jan Thorne, and her many friends.