| United Nations Association of Greater Oklahoma City |
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| United Nations Association of the USA Greater Oklahoma City Chapter P.O. Box 60856 Oklahoma City, OK 73146-0856 Contact Us |
| Created February 21, 2011 Webmaster |
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Linda Esser
Celebrating the Life and Legacy of
by Bill Bryant
President, UNA-OKC
President, UNA-OKC
February, 2011 -- Many friends of the United Nations
Association are mourning the passing of Linda Esser,
a remarkable woman whose life was filled with love,
hope, passion and peace.
Linda was a talented artist, a loving mother, a dedicated teacher. She will be remembered by lots of folks as the
founder of C.A.S.T., Cultural Awareness for Students and Teachers. The mission statement of C.A.S.T. reflects
Linda's vision:
"Our one and only mission is bringing honor to each and every individual on earth. This will be done by
uniting individuals around the world to participate or play in games that promote peace."
Linda was a great supporter of our little chapter of the UN Association. Our two organizations joined with others
in co-sponsoring the International Day of Peace celebration, which has become a tradition in Oklahoma City.
On several occasions, Linda made an intentional effort to reach out to our chapter -- to include us in
C.A.S.T.-sponsored activities. At one point, she invited me to be a judge in her "Trashion Fashion" show.
Her motive was to put a spotlight on the contributions that have been made by the United Nations in the areas of
sustainable development, protection of the environment, etc. (It certainly wasn't because of my fashion sense).
I still have a small plaque she presented to the "United Nations" in commemoration of our chapter's participation
in the "Earth Day Celebration & Recyclathon 2008."
The most memorable thing about Linda, I think, was the effect she had on her students. She was an encourage-
ment and an inspiration to them. She was a person whose influence will be felt far into the future.
Linda's family & friends wanted a means by which to make a monetary contribution to her memory. I agreed to
receive donations made to "UNA-USA," earmarked for C.A.S.T.
During Linda's leadership of C.A.S.T., she promoted religious tolerance, protection of our natural environment,
and awareness of the problem of Child Soldiers. These are interests that are shared by our chapter of the UN
Association. In fact, our featured 'cause' this month is Child Soldiers. See our webpage at . . .
www.una-okc.org/child_soldiers.
Linda accomplished so much in her lifetime, touching many peoples' lives.
She will be missed.
Association are mourning the passing of Linda Esser,
a remarkable woman whose life was filled with love,
hope, passion and peace.
Linda was a talented artist, a loving mother, a dedicated teacher. She will be remembered by lots of folks as the
founder of C.A.S.T., Cultural Awareness for Students and Teachers. The mission statement of C.A.S.T. reflects
Linda's vision:
"Our one and only mission is bringing honor to each and every individual on earth. This will be done by
uniting individuals around the world to participate or play in games that promote peace."
Linda was a great supporter of our little chapter of the UN Association. Our two organizations joined with others
in co-sponsoring the International Day of Peace celebration, which has become a tradition in Oklahoma City.
On several occasions, Linda made an intentional effort to reach out to our chapter -- to include us in
C.A.S.T.-sponsored activities. At one point, she invited me to be a judge in her "Trashion Fashion" show.
Her motive was to put a spotlight on the contributions that have been made by the United Nations in the areas of
sustainable development, protection of the environment, etc. (It certainly wasn't because of my fashion sense).
I still have a small plaque she presented to the "United Nations" in commemoration of our chapter's participation
in the "Earth Day Celebration & Recyclathon 2008."
The most memorable thing about Linda, I think, was the effect she had on her students. She was an encourage-
ment and an inspiration to them. She was a person whose influence will be felt far into the future.
Linda's family & friends wanted a means by which to make a monetary contribution to her memory. I agreed to
receive donations made to "UNA-USA," earmarked for C.A.S.T.
During Linda's leadership of C.A.S.T., she promoted religious tolerance, protection of our natural environment,
and awareness of the problem of Child Soldiers. These are interests that are shared by our chapter of the UN
Association. In fact, our featured 'cause' this month is Child Soldiers. See our webpage at . . .
www.una-okc.org/child_soldiers.
Linda accomplished so much in her lifetime, touching many peoples' lives.
She will be missed.
In memory of Linda, and at the family's request, we have established the
Linda Esser Memorial Fund. Contributions are being received at our
mailing address:
UNA-USA, Greater Oklahoma City Chapter
P.O. Box 60856
Oklahoma City, OK 73146-0856
Checks should be made payable to "UNA-USA," with a notation for the
Linda Esser Memorial Fund.
In addition to the many donations that have been received from Linda's friends and family members, the directors
of our chapter have voted to move an additional $250 from our general fund into the Memorial Fund. This will
provide a generous amount of resources to support programs and activities that were close to Linda's heart --
Pinwheels for Peace, Protection of Children in Armed Conflict, Religious Tolerance, and more.
Additionally, our board of directors has voted to honor Linda's achievements by presenting the Larry
Eberhardt Award in her memory. It will be the first time that we have made this award posthumously.
The award will be presented at our Spring Luncheon -- to be held on Saturday, April 23rd, at Oklahoma City
University. Additional information about the luncheon will appear on our website, www.una-okc.org, in the
coming days and weeks. We're hoping that many of Linda's family members, friends, and former students will
want to be in attendance.
Linda Esser Memorial Fund. Contributions are being received at our
mailing address:
UNA-USA, Greater Oklahoma City Chapter
P.O. Box 60856
Oklahoma City, OK 73146-0856
Checks should be made payable to "UNA-USA," with a notation for the
Linda Esser Memorial Fund.
In addition to the many donations that have been received from Linda's friends and family members, the directors
of our chapter have voted to move an additional $250 from our general fund into the Memorial Fund. This will
provide a generous amount of resources to support programs and activities that were close to Linda's heart --
Pinwheels for Peace, Protection of Children in Armed Conflict, Religious Tolerance, and more.
Additionally, our board of directors has voted to honor Linda's achievements by presenting the Larry
Eberhardt Award in her memory. It will be the first time that we have made this award posthumously.
The award will be presented at our Spring Luncheon -- to be held on Saturday, April 23rd, at Oklahoma City
University. Additional information about the luncheon will appear on our website, www.una-okc.org, in the
coming days and weeks. We're hoping that many of Linda's family members, friends, and former students will
want to be in attendance.
The Linda Esser Memorial Fund
Linda Marie Esser, age 50, died Saturday, January 29, 2011. She
was born on September 27, 1960 in Coral Gables, Florida. She
was a talented artist and enjoyed gardening, decorating, and
spending time with her beloved son, Chase.
She attended Putnam City High School and received her
bachelor's degree in art education from the University of Central
Oklahoma. In 1993 she began her teaching career at Putnam City
Central Junior High School, where she taught art.
In 2004 she moved to Putnam City North High School, where she
taught basic and advanced art classes. At Putnam City North, she
founded and directed C.A.S.T. (Cultural Awareness for Students
and Teachers), an organization making positive changes within
people, schools, and communities. She coordinated the Pinwheels
for Peace Project, which is dedicated to making a visual statement
about peace, tolerance, cooperation and harmony.
Linda's greatest rewards came from seeing students develop an
appreciation for art and in knowing that she had a positive impact
on their lives. In May of 2010, Linda became a life coach and
master practitioner in Faster EFT (Emotional Focused
was born on September 27, 1960 in Coral Gables, Florida. She
was a talented artist and enjoyed gardening, decorating, and
spending time with her beloved son, Chase.
She attended Putnam City High School and received her
bachelor's degree in art education from the University of Central
Oklahoma. In 1993 she began her teaching career at Putnam City
Central Junior High School, where she taught art.
In 2004 she moved to Putnam City North High School, where she
taught basic and advanced art classes. At Putnam City North, she
founded and directed C.A.S.T. (Cultural Awareness for Students
and Teachers), an organization making positive changes within
people, schools, and communities. She coordinated the Pinwheels
for Peace Project, which is dedicated to making a visual statement
about peace, tolerance, cooperation and harmony.
Linda's greatest rewards came from seeing students develop an
appreciation for art and in knowing that she had a positive impact
on their lives. In May of 2010, Linda became a life coach and
master practitioner in Faster EFT (Emotional Focused
Linda's Obituary from NewsOK.com
Transformation). Her mission was to bring inner peace to those around her and to help them attain goals they
never thought possible.
Linda Esser is preceded in death by her mother, Phyllis Esser. She is survived by her son, Chase Nottingham, of
Oklahoma City; father, John Esser; sister and brother-in-law, Martha and Kent Bradford; and nephew, Sam
Bradford.
The family requests that donations be made to the Linda Esser Memorial Fund, a tax-deductible contribution that
will be sent to C.A.S.T., an organization created by Linda. Checks can be made to UNA-USA, Greater Oklahoma
City Chapter, P.O. Box 60856, Oklahoma City, OK 73146-0856, an organization that manages funds for C.A.S.T.
never thought possible.
Linda Esser is preceded in death by her mother, Phyllis Esser. She is survived by her son, Chase Nottingham, of
Oklahoma City; father, John Esser; sister and brother-in-law, Martha and Kent Bradford; and nephew, Sam
Bradford.
The family requests that donations be made to the Linda Esser Memorial Fund, a tax-deductible contribution that
will be sent to C.A.S.T., an organization created by Linda. Checks can be made to UNA-USA, Greater Oklahoma
City Chapter, P.O. Box 60856, Oklahoma City, OK 73146-0856, an organization that manages funds for C.A.S.T.
| Pinwheels For Peace |
| Celebrating the International Day of Peace -- September 21st |
| ( One of Linda's favorite events ) |