The memorial for Linda Stobbe, who passed away April 9 at 66 years old, will take a musical turn on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. during a benefit concert at the Westwood Mennonite Brethren Church.
"Linda was a music teacher in Prince George for 27 years," said piano-playing friend Rose Loewen. Stobbe lived in Prince George from 1970 to 1997 before moving to the Lower Mainland when her husband's work transferred him there.
"She reached so many students in that time as a very excellent piano teacher," said Loewen, who is the founder of Bel Canto Children's Choir and a music teacher in School District 57 for more than 30 years. "I knew her because I worked with her in church and she was my music teacher for a while. She was on the leadership team to develop music at the Westwood Mennonite Brethren Church. They had a choir for years and she had a wonderful way of being positively collaborative."
Stobbe always had a big impact on the people around her.
"Linda was a tremendous encourager," said Loewen, who originally met Stobbe in the Lower Mainland where they took music lessons from the same teacher. "When I moved up here, I never dreamed that I would do what I did (the choirs and teaching music). From the very first word, Linda was encouraging. I will never forget that."
The memorial will be a combination of tribute and traditional memorial, officiated by Rev. Mel Fehr.
"He was Linda's pastor for many of the years she was here," said Loewen. "There will be tributes performed by her colleagues and students, family and friends."
Stobbe was the president of the Registered Music Teachers Association from 1978 to 1997. She was also provincial representative for Prince George for the association and she was president of the Prince George Music Festival for a number of years, added Loewen.
Brother John Suderman, and sister Betty, and son, Joel, will perform during the tribute and others including David Sproule, Lori Elder, Samanth Unger, Angela Alba, and Indra Egan will perform during a musical prelude beginning at 2:30 p.m.
