Linda Mae Krywy

Linda Mae Krywy peacefully passed away at 8:50AM on December 11, 2013 in Saratoga Hospital with her loving brother standing at her bedside. Her life was disrupted in April of 2010 by the diagnosis of a very stubborn and nearly always fatal, malignant glioblastoma-multiforme brain tumor. She underwent two surgeries over the next twenty-seven months.  In conjunction with other conventional treatment for her form of brain cancer, she partook in clinical trials to help gain useful data that could be used for the treatment of other sufferers of this horrible disease. In addition to conventional treatments as well as trial drugs, she also used a state-of-the-art device in her treatment, the Novocure TTF-100A.  The Novocure TTF-100A performed most favorably during her battle against this disease. (Visit http://www.novocure.com/ for more insight regarding this advanced cancer treatment for recurring GBM tumors). Despite a most valiant effort, Linda was never able to return to her pre-cancer “old-self,” and that truly frustrated her. Over a total of more than forty-four months from first diagnosis, she fought a courageous fight. Through it all, Linda never lost her faith and her strong love for God; she never lost her love for her family and dear friends. In true Linda like fashion, she never lost her ever-glowing sweetness, which was present in the smile on her lips as she drew her last breath…

Linda was born at 11:43am, on February 10, 1957 to the late Henry Krywy and Frances Hika Krywy in the Village of Ballston Spa, New York. Linda will be fondly remembered by all of those who had the pleasure of knowing her. She lived the definition of the kind of person most would like to be remembered as but only a very select few ever reach. Linda leaves behind her brother Don Krywy of Ballston Spa, New York, sister Karen Rush of Scotia, New York and sister Mary Ann Baratta & brother-in-law Paul Baratta of Belmont, Massachusetts. Our Linda had the distinction of being the youngest of the fourteen members of her generation of the Krywy bloodline.  She will be truly missed not only by her siblings but also her three nephews and seven nieces, her great-niece, and many cousins as well as the countless friends who have come to know Linda over the past fifty-six years Linda has been with us. She will also be remembered by those she stopped to visit with while walking her ‘best buddy’, her beagle Patch. Patch is also gone, having passed away on Christmas Eve 2012. Her soul and her caring spirit are now in heaven with God, her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and family members and friends who went ahead of her. We who knew her loved her, and we always will. Our cherished memories of Linda will remain forever etched in our hearts and minds. I believe and accept that God had a plan for her to call her away as He did. I am a better person for having been Linda’s brother, my loving thanks to her spirit, she was a truly special woman…

Linda had an extensive academic career. After graduation from Ballston Spa High School, she attended Mitchell College in Connecticut. She then transferred to and graduated from Syracuse University with a dual major in biology and forestry. Continuing her education, she moved to and attended the University of Maine, then on to Portland, Oregon where she attended and graduated from Oregon Center for Oriental Medicine (OCOM). Linda took her final boards in California and became a board-certified acupuncturist enabling her to practice acupuncturist anywhere in the country. Linda chose to return home and open her Adirondack Acupuncture locally. Linda practiced acupuncture in Saratoga, Fulton & Montgomery Counties until April 2010 when her diagnosis of brain cancer forced her to give up her practice. The cancer prevented her from practicing acupuncture with the ability and confidence she required of herself. Linda made many friends through her acquaintances with her clients. Her clients along with their family members came to know her as more than just the acupuncture lady but as their friend…

Linda has been referred to as being “tree-like” by her childhood & life-long friend, Nancy because of Linda’s special love of the outdoors. She lived on her land in the Adirondack forest for a number of years before being stricken with cancer in her Mongolian styled yurt (she erected the yurt mostly on her own with only minimal help from friends and family). The yurt was without the convenience of having electricity & running water but Linda managed comfortably through all four seasons year after year.

Linda was an accomplished lifelong musician, playing guitar, banjo, ‘fiddle’, mandolin, penny whistles, harmonica, piano, keyboard-synthesizer, and probably more. She enjoyed playing music along with her father Henry ‘Hank’ Krywy and her other musician friends and family members. She also enjoyed painting pictures, fishing, skiing, hiking, snow shoeing, almost any outdoor activity and at the top that list was spending time with her loving beagle companion, Patch. Linda’s strength in her faith was a source of solace in times she was in need of a spiritual “pick-me-up” throughout her battle with brain cancer. Reading scripture was a major source of Devine spiritual comfort and relief for her through those tough times…

Linda’s goal in life was to become a nice, little old lady and to be a good servant to God. Her life came to an end before she was able to fully achieve this goal. Linda never became the little ‘old’ lady of her goal, but she truly accomplished being a very special ‘nice’ lady, an exceptionally devout servant to God and close sister and friend to all of us who had the pleasure of knowing her over the fifty-six years she was with us…

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Linda Krywy may be made to the National Brain Tumor Society, 55 Chapel Street, Suite 200, Newton, MA  02458 or through their website at http://www.braintumor.org/.