Linda Katrina Govednik Dill

Linda Katrina Govednik Dill, 70, passed away on July 5, 2025, from pancreatic cancer at the home of a family friend in Sebastopol, California.

Born on February 27, 1955, in San Francisco to Ivanka and Frank Govednik, Linda was the youngest of three daughters, growing up in San Leandro alongside her sisters, Bernadette and Monica. She attended Saint Felicitas School and San Leandro High School, later earning an Associate Degree from Santa Rosa Junior College.

Linda had a lifelong love of the arts. She studied ballet passionately as a young woman and was once offered the opportunity to attend the Joffrey Ballet. Sadly, her mother did not allow her to attend. She also sang in choirs, performed in theatre productions, and often joined her sisters in singing at Slovenian Hall gatherings in San Francisco. She also had beautiful cursive handwriting, which she attributed to her Catholic grammar school. Linda won an award from a poetry publishing company for one of her poems and composed songs, one of which was sung at her celebration.

A devoted follower of Christ, Linda was active in many church communities throughout her life, beginning in the Catholic Church and later attending independent congregations. This also gave her an opportunity to sing,
which she practised all her life.

In 1978, Linda married Robert Spinardi. Together, they built a home in the Oakland Hills. After years of infertility struggles, they adopted two children, Katrina in 1984 and John in 1986. Shortly after adopting John, Linda gave birth to Francesca in 1987. She cherished being a mother and later became a proud grandmother to Gavin Moore, the son of Katrina and her husband, Todd Moore.

Linda remarried in 2022 to Terry Dill, with whom she shared her later years in San Anselmo, California and included extensive travelling around the country and internationally. This included an impromptu trip around the world. They both enjoyed some of the world's greatest Art Museums and shared an appreciation for the art of Maxfield Parrish and John Waterhouse. Linda and Terry made a special trip to the Tate Britain in London to see her favourite painting, "The Lady of Shalott" only to find it was on loan; she was so disappointed. Linda's lifelong best friend was Jill Hendricks. Terry is the father of Jill Hendricks' son, Matthew Hendricks' wife, Katrina Dill Hendricks. Linda and Terry met during Thanksgiving dinner at Jill and Larry's house in 2021.

Linda found joy in nature throughout her life. She would often run and hike along the beaches and the open trails near her home. During some of her runs, she would be accompanied by a wild coyote that seemed to adopt her as a companion. Over the years, she lived in many different places, but they all were all close to beaches, which she loved to visit. She would always be on the lookout for special stones on the beach or on hikes inland.

She held a variety of jobs over the years, including work at a title company, in fibre optic cable locating, and in administrative roles at a hydrogen fuel cell company and eBay. Wanting a more personal connection in her work, she became a school bus driver, where she especially loved supporting children with special needs.

Linda was preceded in death by her daughter Katrina (2010), her stepdaughter Lisa (2016), and her son John, who has been missing for several years. She is survived by her daughter, Francesca Spinardi; her grandson, Gavin Moore; her sisters, Bernadette and Monica; and her husband, Terry Dill.