Linda Hiebert Sekiguchi
Obituary
When Linda Hiebert Sekiguchi passed
away on May 15, the world lost an extraordinary advocate for
education and compassion for all.
Coming from a rather closed Russian
Mennonite community outside rural Newport, Washington, she was one of
the most global thinking and acting personalities ever.
Despite her many physical limitations
from birth, which might have led others to give up, Linda had more
determination, intelligence, high ideals and desires to stand up for
those who had no voice and advocated for women's issues, especially
for education.
Linda was overtaken by blindness and
horrible scoliosis with surgery that left her crippled for life.
However, if a cause meant enough to her, she would go - whether it
was to the United Nations in New York or an international symposium
in South Africa.
Staying close to her roots, Linda
graduated from Mennonite institution Bethel College in North Newton.
She went on to teach school in Topeka, then joined the Department of
Defense Dependent Schools (DODDS) in Mannheim and Frankfurt, Germany
and in the Philippines, where she met and married Christopher
Sekiguchi. She taught in private schools in Hawaii and taught and
worked with medically fragile students at Agnews in California. Chris
and Linda traveled throughout the Far East and Europe. Chris passed
away after a heart transplant in California.
In California, Linda met her partner of
28 years, Bruce Mitchener. They have lived in Minden, Nevada, for
quite a few years, where they developed many friendships and
interests. Linda never wanted to miss out on anything.
Knowing how Linda's life began, with
the many things she had to conquer, it is absolutely amazing what she
accomplished and the people she impacted and the places she went by
herself, with Chris or with Bruce. Between the two of them, Bruce and
Linda traveled to 90 countries. They made multiple trips throughout
the world with Friendship Force, where they exchanged home visits
with other members.
Linda always took things along to give
to children and schools everywhere she went. She made hundreds of
school kits every year for the Mennonite Central Committee to give to
children in third world countries.
Linda gave very generously to her
church and groups and organizations she was associated with - not to
just any charity. She and Chris set up a large scholarship fund for
women of the world to get a higher education in the United States.
Linda was a strong supporter of the
Reno Philharmonic. She was a dedicated active member of the American
Association of University Women (AAUW). She was on the board of VGIF,
which advocates for women's education worldwide and she worked with
the World Association of University Women. She went to meetings at
the United Nations a couple of times a year.
Linda went to Israel and Palestine
several times on a Compassionate Listening Project for the UMC. She
recently bought a bus for the Palestinian school kids so they
wouldn't be harassed at the border on their way to school.
Linda's years of teaching, along with
wise investment and selling the home she owned with Chris in San
Jose, California, helped her have the money to do so many things. It
wasn't handed to her. She worked hard for all the things she believed
in.
She was very active in the Carson
Valley United Methodist Church, where she sang beautiful high soprano
in the choir, attended UM Women and was a lay representative for the
CVUMC at annual and world conferences. Linda was always concerned
about others.
Linda is survived by her partner, Bruce
Mitchener Sr.; and was a loving grandmother (Lola) to Bruce III,
Stephanie, Jack, Daniel and Joshua Mitchener, Kayla, Cassie and Kenny
Wood; and loved by Bruce's children, Michelle, Cheryl, Leslie, Bruce
Edward II and Kevin. Linda also leaves her sisters: Eva Klink,
RuthAnn Hiebert, Elsie Dickerson and Erna Haskins; brother, David
Hiebert; and nieces and nephews: Lisa, Lorenzo, Melissa, LeAnn,
James, Adeline and Phyllissa. She is also cherished and remembered by
her many friends worldwide.
