Obituary of Linda Elizabeth Hickey

Linda Elizabeth (Forsyth) Hickey of Fredericton, NB passed away suddenly on January 16, 2024. Born December 22, 1946, the daughter of the late Walter Chipman Forsyth and Anne Keane (Hunter) Forsyth. Linda grew up in Chipman, NB and attended New Brunswick Teachers' College, eventually attaining her Master’s Degree in Education. Her thesis was titled: “Having Good Days and Knowing Why. Learning from the Stories of Exceptional, Experienced Teachers”.  In the classroom she taught at multiple schools at multiple levels, eventually teaching and inspiring our future teachers at UNB.

At this time, we celebrate the life of a remarkable woman, whose spirit was as boundless as her capacity for kindness. Her generosity was her craft, her gift to the world, and she wielded it with grace and humility.

She found her calling in teaching, a role she embraced not by design but by destiny. Her classroom was a sanctuary, a place where rules were replaced by pathways to betterment. She didn’t just teach subjects, she taught life. Her lessons were filled with wisdom and compassion, guiding countless individuals, young and old, towards their potential.

Her belief in the inherent goodness of people was unwavering. She saw hope where others saw despair, potential where others saw failure. She reached out to those who were discounted, those deemed undeserving, and she kindled in them a spark of hope. Her creative kindness was transformative, changing lives in ways most couldn’t comprehend.

Even when her physical abilities waned, her spirit remained undeterred. Her disability became a testament to her strength, her resilience. She continued to enable others, to inspire and uplift, seeing the goodness in everyone and reflecting it back onto the world.

Her legacy is not just in the lives she touched, but in the love she shared, the hope she inspired, and the change she effected. She was a beacon of light in a world that can often seem dark, and her light will continue to shine in the hearts of those she touched.

L‌inda is survived by her son, Ryan (Stacey) Hickey of Ottawa; 3 grandchildren, Will, Maeve and Stella; her sister, Karen (Paul) Moreau; her two brothers Dereck (Susan) Forsyth and Mark (Linda) Forsyth; 10 loving nieces and nephews; her guardian angel and friend, Carol Malloy; and close friend, Phillip Peterson. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by sons, Sean and Scott Hickey.  

To honor Linda, family will gather this Sunday, the 21^st of January, 2024.  In the springtime, there will be a special gathering for everyone who knows and loves Linda, to come together in gratitude for the love laughter and joy she brought into our lives.  Details to come in the spring. For those who wish, donations in Linda’s memory would be greatly appreciated to Muscular Dystrophy Canada.