Linda Blake

AUSTIN -- Linda Blake of Austin passed away Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010, as a result of complications from heart surgery.        Funeral: A celebration of her life shall be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Lucas Funeral Home in Hurst. Viewing: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday.        Memorials: In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF).        Linda was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Oct. 3, 1950. Her family moved to Great Kills on Staten Island, N.Y., in 1958, where she attended Public School 8 and Tottenville High School, graduating in 1968. Also in that year, she married the love of her life, Robert "Bob" Blake, and they moved to Texas, settling in the Fort Worth area, where Bob was serving in the Army. In 1978, Linda experienced kidney failure and was on dialysis for two years before receiving a kidney transplant from her eldest brother -- truly the gift of life. She graduated from the registered nursing program at Tarrant County College in 1984 and went to work for Harris HEB Hospital in the labor and delivery department. In 1988, she received a second kidney transplant that was to last 20 years, until 2008. She retired from HEB Hospital, and in October 2009, moved to Austin to be near her grandchildren.        Linda had an incredible impact on all those she met. A double kidney transplant herself, she was an ambassador for organ donation. And rather than focus on her own medical issues, she chose to live a life of service, extending compassion and friendship to all she met. Linda was active in the local youth sports programs, serving as a constant cheerleader, team mom and even soccer and baseball coach for her sons' teams. She helped establish a kidney health care support group and provided a wonderful example of how to live a full and productive life even under sometimes adverse conditions. Linda's hallmark was empathy and a unique capacity to accept the stumbling blocks that life throws at you and to continue on. Friends and relatives alike knew that Linda could and would provide a shoulder to lean on, sage advice and life insights. All her sons' friends considered Linda a second Mom; all her adult friends thought of Linda as a big sister who could solve any problem and find a bright side to any situation. She left an everlasting footprint on the hearts of all who knew her and we will carry her spirit with us always. Linda was preceded in death by her father, Nils Valentine Ericson Sr.        Survivors: Husband of 41 years, Robert; sons and their wives, Stephen and Erin, Gregory and Alison; mother, Doris Ermalin Ericson; brothers, Nils Valentine Ericson and wife Ann, Jay Robert Ericson, Roy Walter Ericson and wife Mary, Lee Stewart Ericson and Tammy Cathey; Sister-in-Law Anne Blake; grandchildren, Davis, Lena, Will and Presley Grace Jenny; nieces and nephews, Nils and wife Allison, Carl and wife Victoria, Allison and husband David, Luke, Christopher, Stewart, Morgan and husband Collen, Taylor, Alex, Angela and husband Luis and Allen; great-nephews Finn and Luis; great-nieces Juliana, Elizabeth and Melissa; and a host of close friends whom she considered family. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Linda Blake please visit our Sympathy Store.