On Friday, November 7th, 2014 The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. said farewell to a couple of our beloved family members: Linda and Ed Elliott. Linda was one of the 2011 Employees of the Year and worked at the Lighthouse for 31 years. In her role as Injection Mold Shop and Production Manager, she helped to integrate employees from the Lighthouse’s Supported Employee Program into her department. “Every day is memorable for me,” she says. One of those days she met her would-be husband Ed here at the Lighthouse. After 17 years of service, Ed retired as a senior Set-Up Specialist. The couple is coming up on their ninth wedding anniversary.
Both Linda and Ed are grateful of their time spent at the Lighthouse. “This is my family; they are a part of me,” says Linda. “The hardest part of retirement is leaving the people.” The employees they oversee, their supervisors, and they themselves have all benefited from the supportive services that the Lighthouse provides.
During her tenure at the Lighthouse, Linda made it a point to contribute to the upward mobility of those around her. “Nobody is useless!” she exclaims. She worked to find out what people’s needs were and utilize the Lighthouse’s mechanisms to accommodate them. “Even if you give just a little bit of help, these guys will bust their butts for you.” Linda recognizes that the Lighthouse makes sure that anybody, no matter what their disability, can move up and improve their skills. Ed agrees that employees here are, “extremely supported on every level.”
When asked about the legacy that they wish to leave behind, Ed and Linda wish that people will remember them as their friends. “The biggest part of our lives is helping others,” they say. Both Linda and Ed reached out to Lighthouse employees on a personal level and enjoyed helping people turn their lives around. The tight bonds that they formed with employees at the Lighthouse were evident at the heart-felt celebration on Friday, commemorating their much deserved Lighthouse retirement.
Linda and Ed plan to spend their retirement amongst their family and devoting time to their congregation. They will also take some time to themselves and travel the country on road trips. Please join us in thanking Linda and Ed for their many years of selfless service to the Lighthouse. And don’t be surprised to find them around the Lighthouse at times. Linda leaves us with this: “I’ll be here to haunt people.”
