Linda Louise Softing-Gubelman | Passages

March 11, 1949 – January 14, 2026

Linda was adopted into a tight-knit Norwegian family and grew up near Green Lake in Seattle. Her parents, Leif and Ragna Softing, had emigrated from Norway in the 1930s to join the Norwegian community in Ballard. Linda always cherished her Norwegian roots and extended family, especially her grandmother who took her to Norway as a teenager. That community and heritage remained central to her identity throughout her life.

Linda had a natural eye for beauty that shaped the way she moved through the world. She found joy in creating, whether through painting, tending gardens, cooking, or transforming everyday moments into something special. She was especially drawn to flowers and was always finding new ways to bring them into her surroundings. Her warmth and generosity defined her relationships. Linda was a master of friendship. She maintained close ties that stretched back to childhood and formed deep and lasting bonds everywhere she went. She had a way of making people feel truly seen and cared for.

She attended Roosevelt High School, graduating in 1967, and went on to Burnley Art School, where she studied under one of her favorite artists, William Cumming. In 1975, while living on San Juan Island, she met Nash Gubelman, her husband and companion of 50 years. They married in 1977 and built an off-the-grid home on a mountaintop on the west side of San Juan Island. While Nash worked as an architect, Linda and her partner Christina ran an event planning, floral design, and catering business in the Seattle area.

Linda carried her love of beauty and celebration into every stage of her life. She believed birthdays and gatherings deserved to be honored fully, never just as a single day but often as a week or more. She marked each occasion with thoughtful care, with abundant food, handwritten and painted cards, candles, linen napkins, and antique silver.

In 1988, they moved to Seattle, where they raised their two sons, Oscar, born in 1985, and Cyrus, born in 1993, in a home near Green Lake, not far from where Linda had grown up. During these years, Linda was a devoted and deeply involved mother, especially at Pacific Crest Montessori School, where both boys attended. As her children grew, she returned to painting in her large Fremont studio. Her lifelong passions for gardening, painting in both oil and watercolor, and cooking continued to flourish.

In 2001, somewhat by serendipity, Nash purchased a château in France. This adventure shaped the next twenty years of their lives and introduced them to a new culture and many dear friendships. While Nash renovated the château and operated it as a wedding venue, Linda transformed the extensive gardens and hosted artists and friends from around the world, all while returning to her love of oil painting.

Linda passed away following a heart attack on January 14, 2026, while traveling in Egypt with Nash. She is survived by her husband, Nash Gubelman; her son Oscar Gubelman; her son Cyrus Gubelman and his wife, Alissa Gubelman; her stepdaughter, Erin Elizabeth Gubelman and her husband, Mohamed Kombo, and their son, Sharif Kombo.

Her family will host a celebration of her life for friends and loved ones in Seattle on April 25 from 4 to 6 pm at the Sunset Hill Community Hall, 3003 NW 66th Street in Ballard. All are welcome.

Linda will be deeply missed.