Linnea Olga (Fredriksen) Richardson, 75, of Eliot, ME passed away peacefully with family by her side, on April 29, 2024.

Born in Boston, MA to Karl J. and W. Sylvia (Anderson) Fredriksen, she grew up in Roslindale, MA along with her 5 siblings; Vendla, Karl, Martha, Erik and Karin.

Linnea attended Boston schools and graduated from Roslindale High School in 1966. It was at Roslindale High school where Linnea met a classmate, William Hughes. Soon after graduating they were married and together had a daughter Denise and a son William "Billy". The marriage would eventually dissolve and they parted ways. Linnea responded to this life event by working hard and doing whatever was necessary to make ends meet and provide a good life for her two children. Linnea never complained, but rather pulled herself up by her bootstraps and continued to move forward.

The summer following the divorce, Linnea and the two kids lived in a little trailer at Canoe River Campground in Mansfield, MA. As fate would have it, that is where she met Richard Gonsalves.  Richard "Dickie" always had a twinkle in his eye when he was helping Linnea get "settled" with all things camping!  The two got acquainted over a cup of coffee and each time Richard visited Linnea, he stayed longer and longer.  Richard was smart and easy going with a funny sense of humor.  They fell in love and were married for 11 years, together enjoying life's simple pleasures.  They took several family vacations to Disney World, Washington DC, Martha's Vineyard and Aruba. Linnea truly cherished her time with Richard's 3 daughters and their 6 grandchildren.

Following the sudden passing of her beloved husband, Richard, Linnea was extremely fortunate to find love again, when she met Craig "Barry" Richardson.  From their first meeting, they became inseparable, enjoying spending quality time together. They found refuge in each other, having experienced similar losses. They understood each other. This companionship quickly blossomed into romance. Craig swept Linnea off her feet as he was attentive, spontaneous and full of surprises.  He wanted nothing more than to make her happy.

They soon married and spent 29 wonderful years together, side by side.  They enjoyed many activities together including motorcycle riding, RVing, watching movies, working in their garden and spending winters in their Florida home for many years. They truly leaned on each other, caring for one another and really complimenting each others strengths and weaknesses. This was particularly evident over the past few years when they were both faced with declining health challenges. What one could not do, the other did for him/her. A true partnership until the end!

Over her lifetime, Linnea held many roles in the workforce, but her favorite role was that of Mum, Grammy, Great Grammy, daughter, sister and aunt. Linnea's greatest joy was her family, immediate and extended. She loved spending time with them and doing all things family. If there was going to be a family get together, you could most definitely count her in! She was her happiest when in the presence of the people she loved most.

Linnea always lent a helping hand to family and friends, whether making meals, baking Scandinavian Almond Cake, chocolate chip cookies or grape nut pudding to bring to a friend or an event. She was especially helpful to Denise and made the move from Massachusetts to Maine so that she could be close by to pitch in with anything and everything Denise needed help with and to be able to participate in her grandson's activities more often.

Linnea was not afraid of a challenge and didn't shy away from learning something new. This was evident throughout her career as she held a variety of positions in different business settings. She was an administrative assistant, a grocery store cashier, front end manager and bakery clerk as well as a medical transcriptionist for Norwood Hospital, where she worked until her retirement.

Never one to sit still, Linnea missed her daily degree of busyness and activity. She very quickly decided it was time for a part time job! She happily returned to her days as a supermarket cashier, and worked at both the local Market Basket and Hannafords.

Eventually, Covid and the need for a knee replacement would put an end to her working days. She saw this as an opportunity to exercise more and rehab her new knee!!

Linnea loved animals, especially her beloved cats Muffin, Belle, Fella and Nikki. She enjoyed spending time in the yard with Craig, watching the birds and various little creatures that would come and go. She had a special fondness for her furry grand dog, Bailey Girl. Linnea would walk her for miles and never missed an opportunity for a Bailey cuddles and kisses!!

Linnea was lucky to have several cherished friendships, some of which lasted a lifetime. In particular, were the "Rossie Girls". She always looked forward to their get together. Some of Linnea's fondest memories were of the time spent with her best friend, Joanne. Whether it was primping each others hair before school, strolling through the arboretum, going to the Rialto Theater or a swim at Nantasket Beach, they had a blast together!!

Linnea enjoyed music from an early age, dancing away to her beloved Supremes while she ironed to the beat! She especially liked listening to Motown, country music, Andrea Bochelli, Bon Jovi, Pink and various spiritual songs or hymns. Her music was with her wherever she went - in the car or on her I-pod. She loved to dance and was quite the country line dancer! Her guilty pleasure was her nightly Brighams's chocolate chip ice cream with Jimmie's and the occasional hot fudge sundae or tiramisu. She loved to play Bingo and the card shark in her never passed up a good game of cribbage or Texas Hold 'Em. Her favorite hobby, bar none, was watching her grandchildren participate in any and all activities. She became notorious for ringing her famous Cow Bell in the stands while cheering on her grandchildren and their teammates. Her good luck charm seemed to work, as it almost always yielded a win for "her team."

Linnea lived life on her terms.  She handled what life gave her with dignity and grace. Never one to quit or complain, her tenacity and resilience were to be admired. She certainly knew how to make lemonade out of lemons! Her feisty, fun loving personality will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

Linnea was the beloved wife of the late Craig B. Richardson.  Devoted mother of Denise L. Burbank and her husband, Chris; stepmother of David Richardson and his wife Kerry; and Todd Richardson and his wife Sarah.  Loving Sister of Karin Sullivan and her husband Brian; Erik Fredriksen and his wife Marilyn, Karl Fredriksen and sister-in-law of Ernest Margeson. Adoring Grandmother of McKenzie, Taylor,
Kyle, Thomas, Michael and Alexander. Treasured Great Grandmother of Gianna. Beloved Aunt to many nieces and nephews.
Linnea was predeceased by her parents, her husbands, her son Billy, her sisters Vendla and Martha and her granddaughter Kailey.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend Linnea's Celebration of Life on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 11:00 AM at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Newington, NH.

A private burial will take place at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Linnea's name to a cause very dear to her; the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601.