In Memory

Linda Mason (Pace)

Linda Mason (Pace)

Tomorrow it will be one month since Lin left this earth. Shortened versions of her obituary will be in the newspapers in Duluth and Detroit this weekend but I wanted to put this more complete obituary on Facebook. It is a compilation of memories and impressions from Shannon, Maren, John, and me. She will be in our hearts forever. - Leslie

Linda (Mason, Coleman) Pace, 73, was born in Duluth, Minnesota to Howard and Inez Mason. She passed peacefully on February 20, 2021 after a long illness. Her life as a mother, educator, wife, and person was defined by her nurturing and caring personality. The only thing that ever really mattered to her was that everybody around her was taken care of - most importantly her kids. She did an amazing job.

Music was the key to her heart and happiness. Even as other memories slipped away she could still sing the songs that framed her life from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. She also found joy in nature, history, genealogy, reading, writing, photography, and learning new things and in sharing these things with her family. She loved exploring places where history comes alive, especially museums like the Henry Ford and historic sites in Philadelphia and Washington DC and she worked on her own family history by creating an extensive family tree with over 3000 ancestors. Linda loved spending summers at the family cabin near the Minnesota boundary waters area with her kids Shannon, Maren, and John. She always encouraged their imagination and sense of wonder. Small things made her happy. She loved family sing-a-longs in the car, collecting miniatures for her doll house, and was a level 40 Pokémon Go player.

Education was a big part of her life. She was a graduate of Denfeld High School in Duluth and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. She also received a masters degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. She dedicated 37 years to her career as an early childhood educator and instructional specialist, 30 of them for Detroit Public Schools. She was a natural teacher. One of her supervisors once said “Linda could teach a tree to read.”

Linda was preceded in death by her parents, her loving husband Steven Pace, and her sister and brother-in-law Susan and Jim Mikuska. She is survived by her children Shannon (Greg) Farrey, Maren (Greg) Sharrow, John (Julia) Coleman, and her step daughter Ashley (Tyler) Reed. She is also survived by her precious grandchildren Madalyn Farrey, Evan Sharrow, Henry Sharrow, Ingrid Sharrow, and Elijah Reed, and by her twin sister Leslie Mason and her former husband David Coleman.

A celebration of her life will be postponed until a later date.