LINDA JOYCE VENUS

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LINDA JOYCE VENUS

1946 - 2025

It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Linda Venus on December 11, 2025, surrounded by the love of her family.

Left to mourn her passing are her children, Shannon Struck (Mark) and Jeff Bakken (Althea), along with her life partner Dennis Schellenberg. Her grandchildren, Andie, Katie and Joel Struck will miss her deeply. Her sisters, Brenda Dozenko (Ramesh Mehta) and Sandy Venus (Ahmad Nia) will mourn the loss of their older sister. Her nieces, Kirsten (Dan), Kyra (Ryan) and Shareen (Julian), as well as her grandnieces and grandnephews, held a special place in auntie Linda's heart. Linda will be missed by Dennis' children, Kate and Ben (Julia Cloutier) and his grandchildren, Margie and Arthur, as well as the Hughes family cousins. Linda was predeceased by her parents, Cliff and Priscilla (Bibs) (nee Hughes) Venus and her many aunts and uncles.

Linda's childhood laid the foundation for two of her hallmark passions: family and lake life. As the eldest cousin of the Hughes Clan, she enjoyed countless extended family holiday celebrations and summer excursions to parks and beaches. Her love of lake life and outdoor activities was cemented through summer vacations at Lac Lu, family camping road trips and her initial Girl Guide camper experience.

Linda's teen years revolved around the E-K YMCA. She developed her sound work ethic and spirit of volunteerism from her early days as an E-K 'Y' youth leader and summer camp counsellor. Linda remained connected to the 'Y' throughout her life, was a regular donor and proudly served as a member of the Board of Directors.

After university, Linda joined the Manitoba civil service, rising to the rank of Associate Deputy Minister of Health. She had many fond memories of the White Paper Working Group and the times she spent travelling around Manitoba helping communities plan hospitals and personal care homes. In her later career, she held senior positions at CancerCare Manitoba and the Canadian Cancer Society. In all these positions, she made a significant contribution to projects she believed in.

Throughout her life, relationships were her top priority. Whether it be hosting family gatherings or going for a walk or lunch with friends, she remained fully engaged in people's lives, offering joy and compassion. Linda had several groups of friends, some of whom have maintained their friendships since elementary school. Linda loved to travel with her friends and later with Dennis. Linda has seen the world, visiting places like Europe, Ghana, Israel, Vietnam, Tanzania, and New Zealand and loved winters in Phoenix.

Linda's favourite place in the world was Fox Lake, where she shared a cottage with her sisters. It was her place of peace, where she loved to swim to the rock, go on long walks, pick blueberries and practice her considerable wood staining skills. She loved sharing the lake with her children and grandchildren and being together with the Venus family.

As a breast cancer survivor and long-time breast health advocate, she spent countless hours with her "sisters" paddling the Red River on the Chemo Savvy dragon boat team and travelling the world for races. Linda volunteered for many years on the Chemo Savvy Board of Directors.

Linda was an avid gardener who loved to eat and share her freshly grown vegetables. Her children and grandchildren were grateful recipients of both her fresh produce and numerous prepared meals. She was an excellent cook and hosted many extended family holiday meals. Everyone looked forward to her signature blueberry pies, pickled beets, and holiday turkey.

She will be missed by the hundreds of people whose lives she touched and who have their own unique memories of her.

The family would like to thank the skilled medical, nursing and health care aides of 5 North at the Grace Hospital for their compassionate care of Linda. A celebration of life is planned for early in the New Year. Details will be announced through Thompson in the Park. If friends and family wish, and in lieu of flowers, a donation in Linda's memory can be made to CancerCare Manitoba or the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 20, 2025