Irene Monica Linberg

Irene Monica Linberg, age 92, passed away Monday, January 8th in Visalia, California, ending a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Monica was preceded in death by her husband of 44 years, Eugene H. Linberg, brother John, sisters Bonita and LaVonne, and daughter, Susan E. Linberg. She is survived by daughters, Jane Zikratch of Visalia, CA, husband Tom and son David; Patricia Anttila, of Wilmington, DE, husband Art and daughters Marlena and Ashley, three great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Born in Jamestown, North Dakota, Monica grew up on a farm in Melville, ND, the daughter of the late Nicholas and Caroline Loesch. She was a graduate of nearby Carrington High School after which she attended the Electronics Radio Television Institute in Minneapolis, MN. From there she went to Chicago where she was accepted into a training school for Aircraft Communicators with the Civil Aeronautics Administration; now the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). Formerly, only men held these positions, but since many men were called into service to fight in World War II, women were trained for jobs such as aircraft communicator, air traffic controller, meteorologist and airline ground radio operator. During her seven-year career with the federal government, she worked at airports in Detroit and Cadillac, Michigan; Cherry Fork, Ohio; Moline, Illinois; Minot and Fargo, North Dakota; Fresno and San Diego, California. She worked in air traffic control towers providing meteorological information to pilots giving them warning about any weather situations to assure safe travels for those in the air. One thrilling event for her was a radio communication she had with Arthur Godfrey who requested the weather conditions as he flew over the small airport of Cherry Fork, Ohio, en route to California. (At that time, Arthur Godfrey was a well-known radio and television entertainer for over 30 years.) Monica met her husband, Eugene Linberg, when he came in to file a flight plan while she was in the control tower at Fargo Hector Airport. He was a B-24 Bomber Pilot with the Army Air Corps and flew in the China-Burma-India Pacific theater of action during WWII. They were married in 1950 and moved to California where Gene was employed as an engineer, and Monica spent a long career with AT&T as an engineer's associate. Monica and her husband made their home in La Canada Flintridge where they raised their three daughters. Monica was a member at St. Bede the Venerable Catholic Church for over 30 years, participating in many volunteer and outreach programs as a Eucharistic minister, lunch preparation and delivery for the poor, bible study, bulletin preparation, Prime Timers member, assisting in the rectory office. Monica also was a past member of the La Canada Flintridge Country Club, board member of Las Ridgadas, and member of the Newcomers Club. She and Gene enjoyed playing bridge, hosting many bridge club parties in their home. Monica was a Girl Scout troop leader, where she instilled leadership skills along with training in outdoor adventures, art appreciation and culinary skills. She was an avid bowler winning many awards and trophies. Monica was a dedicated, loving mother and wonderful, proud grandmother to her grandchildren. She had a positive influence on people's lives and stressed the importance of education and being independent. Funeral Mass will be Tuesday, January 16, 2018, 10:00 AM, at St. Bede's Catholic Church in La Canada with interment at Forrest Lawn Glendale at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to the Alzheimer's Assn. or charity of their choice. Monica's family would like to thank the staff of Sunrise Senior Living of San Marino and, more recently, TLC Assisted Living of Visalia, for their care and dedication over the past several years.

Irene Monica Linberg

April 18, 1925 - January 8, 2018