Linda Marie Neilson

Linda Marie Neilson passed away on Tuesday, February 16. Linda was born in Brooklyn, New York, to George and Domenica Neilson. When she was four years old, she moved to Blauvelt, New York, where she had a happy life and made many lasting memories with her parents, brothers, sisters, cousins and friends. Linda moved to Wall, New Jersey, so that she could raise her family at the Jersey Shore. Linda’s daughters were her whole world and being a Mom was her most prized and treasured role. Her sisters were her best friends. She was so proud and happy to be a grandmother and she spent every chance she could with her grandson, Caden. “Mimi” loved taking him to the park and the beach, feeding him ice pops and jelly donuts, telling him stories at bedtime, and showering him in kisses, hugs and love. Family is what Linda valued the most and it was essential to who she was. In her own words, Linda believed that “anyone who brought love into her life was a part of her family”. Linda’s very successful professional life included time at Mercedes-Benz of North America, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, St. Peter’s School and Church in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, St. Gregory Barbarigo in Garnersville, NY, and most recently as the Executive Secretary to the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of New York. Linda was also a Licensed Real Estate Agent in New Jersey. Linda loved coffee, lipstick, high heels, gardening and bird watching. She was a vibrant, loving, generous woman. Linda once wrote “With happiness, your love within is contagious to everyone.” She was a writer and a storyteller. Her voice while telling any story pulled you in. With her enthusiasm and rhythm, you didn’t want the story to end. Linda could carry on a conversation with a person she met for the first time and she left an impact on so many people, probably without even knowing it. She had a way of making people feel special. She was selfless. Linda gave to give and not to receive. Life sometimes brought its challenges but she faced every obstacle with optimism, positivity, and her strong faith. Her purpose in life was her daughters, to teach them how to love, how to succeed, how to be a person for others to count on. Linda and her daughters were best friends and shared an incomparable bond. She taught her daughters to be strong and independent. She believed that through independence you could find real freedom and choose your own journey. Linda is predeceased by her father, George Neilson. She is survived by her mother, Domenica Neilson, her two daughters, Amanda Tiedeken and Bill Snyder, Kara Tiedeken and Michael Gassaway, her grandson and love of her life, Caden William, her brothers, Joseph and Edward Neilson, her sisters, Patricia and John Lorusso, Betty and Stanley Paletta, her godson, Johnny Lorusso, her goddaughter, Melissa and Geoff Lindquist, beloved nieces, Ashley and Nicolette Paletta, her great nephew, Luka Lindquist, many cousins and friends. She will be missed by her faithful and loyal companion, her rescue dog, Hemingway, who brought her comfort and unconditional love and support. Her family sends their deepest gratitude to the nurses and doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and all of the healthcare professionals who cared for Linda with the greatest expertise and devotion. A memorial tribute will be given by her daughters beginning at 9:45 AM, followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Rose Church in Belmar, NJ on Saturday, February 27, at 10:00 AM. The Eulogy and Mass will be live streamed through the St. Rose website: http://www.strosebelmar.com/srb/ There will be a celebration of Linda’s life when it is safe to get together. There is nothing Linda loved more than planning and organizing the perfect gathering for family and friends so her daughters look forward to the time we can all be together, sharing memories and celebrating Linda’s love. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a Memorial Bench for Linda. Donations can be made in Linda’s name at www.friendsofmonmouthcountyparks.com or by calling 732-975-9735. Her girls plan to find the perfect, peaceful spot where family and friends can visit to watch birds and feel close to her. Please visit the tribute wall to record a memory or leave a message of love for Linda and her family.