Obituary: Linda Zaruba (Schenk) White, 75, Almond

Linda Zaruba (Schenk) White, 75, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, October 26th, joining her husband Michael, whom she lost earlier this year in April. Linda was born on February 6, 1949 in Tonawanda, NY to Helen (White) and Charles "Frank" Schenk, and was a 1967 graduate of Kenmore East High School.

Following high school, Linda's adventurous spirit led her to New York City, where she lived before returning to the Buffalo area. In 1969, she and former husband Douglas Zaruba welcomed their son Andrew into the world.
In the mid 1970s, Linda traveled through Almond, NY, where she was charmed by the town and its people, and she and Andrew moved there soon after. Once in Almond, Linda met and married her husband of 41 years, Michael D. White.
In 1979, Linda began a fulfilling career at Alfred University as a Graduate Coordinator at the School of Art and Design, where she made many life-long friends and was beloved by students and colleagues alike. She loved to travel, and enjoyed attending many NCECA conferences around the country over the course of her career. After retiring from the University in 2011, Linda was awarded the Cité Fellowship, which sent her to the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, where she lived for three months.
Linda and Mike welcomed everyone into their home, regularly hosting holidays and parties for decades. They also hosted a multitude of unforgettable weekend camp outs, family reunions, poker parties, birthdays, graduations, weddings, and memorials at their beloved Vandermark Gardens for over 30 years.
She was predeceased by her husband, Michael David White, and parents Helen and Frank Schenk. Linda is survived by her boys, Andrew (Angela) Zaruba and Brick (Kristen) White; stepson Chris (Geannie) Harding; sister Deby Maloney; sister in law Evonne Patterson; brother in law Chris (Tammy) White; grandchildren Alexander, Kendra, and Nicholas Zaruba, and Ashley Harding; great grandson Lennox Harding; and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends that she cherished.
Everyone that knew Linda will remember her as a person that always had a place at her table for anyone in need. She possessed a wonderful gift for storytelling, and her many stories are a comfort and source of joy to everyone she leaves behind.
Please join us for a celebration of life on Sunday, November 24th from 3:00-6:00pm at Muhleisen’s Restaurant, 60 Main St. Almond, NY.
Funeral arrangements are with the Bender-Brown & Powers Funeral Home in Hornell.

To send a remembrance please visit www.brownandpowersfuneralhomes.com or on Facebook @ Brown Powers FH.