Funeral Details

Linda Ganser Selway

November 2, 1947 - April 10, 2025

SERVICE INFORMATION

Date and Time

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 10:00 AM

Service

Chicago Jewish Funerals
Skokie Chapel
8851 Skokie Boulevard
Skokie, Illinois 60077
Get Directions

Clergy

Rabbi Rachel Weiss
Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation

Interment

Memorial Park Cemetery
9900 Gross Point Road
Skokie, Illinois 60076
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Shiva

Chicago Jewish Funerals Skokie Chapel
8851 Skokie Boulevard
Skokie, Illinois 60077
847.229.8822
Get Directions
Tuesday upon return from 12PM to 5PM

Levinson Residence
9357 Forest View Road
Evanston, Illinois 60203

Wednesday & Thursday
4PM to 7PM

Memorial Contributions

PEER Services
906 Davis Street
Evanston, Illinois 60201
peerservices.org
or
Shore Community Services
8350 Laramie Avenue
Skokie, Illinois 60077
shoreservices.org




OBITUARY

Linda Ganser Selway, age 77.
Beloved wife and best friend of Michael Selway. Cherished mother of Meredith (Joe) Alger. Dear sister of Sue (Michael) Levinson, and the late Phyllis, and late Betsy. Loving and loved aunt of Hilary (Stephen Wade) Levinson, David Gwilliam, Margy Levinson, Jessica Gwilliam, and Adam (Molly Smith) Gwilliam. Dear great-aunt of Louis and Hana Wade. Beloved friend to many. Animal lover by marriage.
Linda will be remembered for making a profound difference in the lives of countless students and clients through her long career as a social worker. She was an avid reader and lifelong learner, earning a doctorate in education in 2006. She loved bringing people together and celebrating with her extended family, maintaining deep relationships with her cousins (1st, 2nd, and twice removed) and the people she met everywhere. Linda couldn’t carry a tune but loved singing, especially singing along with family and friends at holidays and special gatherings.
Services Tuesday, 10 AM at Chicago Jewish Funerals, 8851 Skokie Blvd. (at Niles Center Road), Skokie. Interment Memorial Park Cemetery, Skokie. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to PEER Services, 906 Davis St., Evanston, Illinois 60201, peerservices.org or Shore Community Services, 8350 Laramie Ave., Skokie, Illinois 60077, shoreservices.org. To attend the funeral live stream, please visit our website. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Skokie Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com.


GUEST BOOK

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I have been missing you and will really miss you now...

Donna Cade
April 11, 2025
Linda was such a giving and caring professional. She individualized her assessments to each student ‘s needs while equally supporting the needs of teachers. Seeing her in the school setting was under tough circumstances and I always appreciated her kindness.

Pamela Baumgartner
April 11, 2025
Dear Mike,

Sorry to hear about Linda passing away.. she was a wonderful caring woman. I live in Phoenix now so I won’t be able to come to the service.but I’m sending my deepest sympathies.

Harriet (previously Gnagni)

Harriet Gold
April 11, 2025
Dear Family,
My heart hurts with the loss of our beloved Linda. Linda was always like a big sister for me, rather than a cousin She was deeply loved by my mother, Helane, and father, Sidney. (B”h) and that carried on to me too.
From long ago summers and road trips, to her steadying force and wisdom in troubled times, our bond and love was always precious and true.
Lin, I will miss you always. I will treasure our memories forever.
Losing your leaves a huge hole in our family.
I imagine you now with all of our family already in heaven.
My deepest condolences to Mike, Meredith and Joe. And to Sue and Michael and all our cousins and other family. Prayers and love- Jill

Jill Vaile
April 11, 2025
My sincere condolences to all of Linda’s loved ones. I remember her as a genuinely caring, kind, and approachable person. I got to know Linda when I taught at ETHS. I had the utmost respect for her. She was always a person who was worthy of emulation.
May she rest in peace, and may her memory be a blessing.
Valrie Barrett

Val Barrett
April 11, 2025
Linda was one of my foundations. She was kind, firm, thoughtful, wise and smart. She gave the best advice and the most love. We could pick up after any amount of time not seeing each other and not miss a beat. My world will never be the same again. I’ll miss her love, her brewed ice tea with 2 glasses of ice, with 2 plates of sliced lemon, and all of the things that made Linda, Linda. Simply, I loved her. May her memory be a comfort and blessing always.

Jennifer Fisher
April 11, 2025
Linda was a dear family and personal friend. I will always remember her generosity and kindness to me and my mother particularly. We grew up together on the same street and shared many a game, holiday and celebration between us and our families over the years. I will miss her wisdom, her humor, and her kindness as I do her mother’s, Henrietta, and her youngest sister’s, Philly. May she, may they all, have peace. Condolences other loving family.

Paul Ilmer
April 11, 2025
I met Linda over 20 years ago when she facilitated a class at ETHS which I took. Renee DeWald and Liz Holding were also in the class. The 4 of us started going for dinner after the class.
Linda was an intelligent, insightful and caring. She assisted both students and faculty when they needed help. Her advice was positive and well received. Because of her many problems were solved.
Linda was an asset to the ETHS community and to me as a person.
I miss her terribly.

Fern Pollack

Fern Pollack
April 12, 2025
Sending you love and strength during this difficult time.
With our condolences,
Hilda & Hilda Cruz (mami)

Hilda Esterrich
April 12, 2025
I knew Linda most of the years she taught at ETHS. She was particularly effective in working with families whose children were involved in drugs. It's so difficult for parents to accept the fact that their children might be experimenting, and Linda helped them face the situation and work through the stressors affecting their lives. Students trusted Linda and valued her commitment and leadership. May her memory be a blessing!

Ronnie Jo Sokol
April 12, 2025
I don't even no where to begin. I've known Linda since shortly after I turned 4 and she was 7 and a half. It was June, 1955 and my family had just bought a house on Seward St., almost right across from Hen and Howie's house. So many memories from childhood are coming back to me, like how Linda creatied a game she called "military fitness' in which Philly and I had to follow her orders! I also remember Linda being the loving and caring big sister who let us play paper dolls with her, sing songs with her (even if carrying a tune was a bit tricky), and learn from her. And there are so many more memories from when we were grown up. Mike, I'll never forget singing "in My Life" at your wedding. And then there are all those times we hung out together, had meals together, went to concerts, had deep conversations...did all the things friends do. Mike and Sue, I know Ialready said this to each of you, but losing Linda means part of my own history has disappeared. I know this is a selfish thought, but I can't help it. I'm sending all my love to the whole family.

Deb (Debby) Rosenberg
April 12, 2025
Cousin Linda was always a bright light in my life going back to my youngest memories at my Aunt Hen’s home. I will always remember Linda, Aunt Hen, Sue and Philly as loving cousins. Always a safe haven where there was good times, good food and lots and lots of laughter. Happy memories.
Last I spent time with Linda, she beamed her very intense and intuitive focus on my life which I so much appreciated as I knew she really cared about me.
Linda’s knowing smile and laughter will be missed.
Sending loving thoughts to Michael and Meredith at this time of loss.

Scott Fischburg
April 12, 2025
My sincere condolences to Mike, Meredith, Joe, Sue, Michael and all of Linda’s nieces, nephews and extended family and friends. As one of Linda’s cousins I have memories of her from many years ago. My father, ‘Uncle Babe’ by siblings Ken and Rhoda and I spent many Passovers with Linda and the Ganser family both in Evanston and Terre Haute. Even though I was the youngest cousin, Linda always had time to spend with me. Of course, the memories were always talked about as we all got older. Linda especially loved to tell of the story when I as five years old at a Seder. I sat waiting for the longest time for the person the leave the bathroom. It was at least 30 minutes! But, to find out I was watching the closet door not the bathroom door!

I always felt very connected to Linda since we both were therapists and worked in the school system. I always learned a great deal from her. I can just see her sitting in front on me and asking a thoughtful question wanting to connect on a deeper level. How I felt and saw things was important to her.

Even though I was not able to see Linda very often, I always felt that bond and closeness when we did see each other. I guess that is what cousins are all about!

Linda has a devoted family and was surrounded by love and great memories. I hope those memories are helpful at this difficult time. I know I will cherish my memories of her.

Jean Bennett
April 12, 2025
So sorry for your loss. Linda will live on in all the lives she touched. She had an amazing, powerful personality. I’ll always remember her as a driving force at all extended Yalowitz family events, celebrations and reunions.

Ken Yalowitz
April 14, 2025
What a lovely lady Linda was! I knew her through the drug program at ETHS and later enjoyed her steady support of our Rotary Club sale and projects. Whenever we talked, I felt like she really cared. I wish we had been able to spend more time together.

My deepest sympathy to all her surviving family.

ann searles
April 14, 2025
Our hearts go out to Mike, Meredith, Joe, and the rest of Linda’s family. We enjoyed sharing humor and book recommendations with Linda and will remember enjoying spending time with her at Alger family gatherings. May her memory be a blessing.

Dave and Carole Perlman
April 14, 2025
I'm so very sad to receive this news. I offer my heartfelt condolences to all the family members and those close to Linda. She was an amazing cousin to me. I'll miss her warmth, her caring nature and her lovely smile. Linda always showed an interest in my life at family gatherings and always had time for me, no matter how busy or crowded the gathering. Linda was a philosophical, deep thinker with a vast knowledge of many topics and a curiosity to always learn more. She had the ability to view a situation from many angles and had a rare sense of human connection and the meaning of human interactions, in a non-judgmental way. When Linda was passionate about a topic, you knew it and when she was thoughtful, you felt it along with her. I will miss my cousin Linda very much.

Rhoda Schwartz
April 14, 2025
I was so sorry to learn of Linda’s death So many good memories of our neighborhood moms and daughters get togethers over the years. Please know Mike and Meredith I’m thinking of you and sending prayers and loving thoughts your way.
Pat Kelly

Pat Kelly
April 15, 2025