Linda "Lin" Carol Mandelco

Linda Carol Mandelco, Dec. 17, 1949 - Jan. 19, 2021

Linda C. Mandelco was born Dec. 17, 1949, in Harvey, Illinois, to Robert M. Mandelco and Evelyn Mae (Ellis) Mandelco. She and her sister Karen grew up on the South Side of Chicago and attended Thornton Township High School. After graduation in 1968, Lin attended Illinois State University where she majored in Biology and minored in Art (1973). Following college, she worked as a production manager in the medical devices field. In 1982, Lin welcomed her son Joshua Paul into the world. She subsequently moved to Champaign, Illinois where she became a research technician at the University of Illinois, working in the lab of the late scientist Carl Woese. In 1988, she married David Stahl, at the same time welcoming his two daughters, Jessica and Krista. In 1995, she relocated with her family to Evanston, Illinois where she worked in medical research at Northwestern University. In the late fall of 1999, Lin and Dave moved to Bainbridge Island, Washington, where they lived together for 21 years. Lin worked at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the Veterans Administration Hospital until retiring from her professional life in 2008.

Lin had a lifelong passion for art and imbued her talent and eye for beauty into every aspect of her life. Foremost she was a ceramicist, but she had a brilliance that allowed her to create in any medium. Whether remodeling her Bainbridge Island home, preparing a dinner party for her family and friends, or giving a gift to a loved one, Lin’s attention to detail made everything special. In 2020, she completed the Washington State University Extension’s Master Gardener’s program and looked forward to sharing her knowledge and passion for gardening with others. Lin and Dave often traveled internationally together, and she enjoyed getting off the beaten path and was always up for the unexpected adventures that followed.

Lin is preceded in death by her parents and sister. She is survived by her loving husband David Stahl, son Joshua Paul (w. Tamara Crane), daughters through marriage Krista and Jessica Stahl, grandsons Theodore and Avery Paul, granddaughter Dagny Kruger, and her beloved pup Zelda Mae.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island.