Esther Ostling Linden died at her home on Bainbridge Island on July 21.

Born on March 17, 1912, Esther spent 84 of her 91 years in the Pacific Northwest.

Her Swedish immigrant parents, Hilma and Axel Ostling, had moved their four children to Seattle from St. Paul, Minn., when Esther and her twin brother Ed were seven.

Esther and Ed and their brothers Harold and Roy attended Interlake Primary and Lincoln High Schools.

It was at Lincoln that Esther met Bob Linden; they married in 1932.

Their daughter Janet was born in 1934. Their love for each other and many shared enthusiasms, particularly for food, festivities and friendships lasted until Bob’s death sixty-one years later.

Early in their marriage Esther and Bob developed a strong attachment to Bainbridge Island. To save money during the Depression they had lived in summer cottages at Ferncliff and Manitou Beach before returning to Seattle, where they settled in Laurelhurst.

In 1942, they bought three acres at Manzanita, where they and many of their friends spent summers and weekends.

When Bob retired as president of North West Magazine Distributing Company in 1963, they built a permanent home on the property, moving to the Island for good.

They were active and generous in the arts, library and golf communities. Through their mid and later years, Esther and Bob traveled widely, particularly to Australia, where Janet had moved with her husband, the late Dr. David Penny, and their two children, Marga and Robert.

Esther Linden’s interests included gardening, current affairs and bridge, but most important to her was her art.

A talented realist painter, she was equally skilled in oil, watercolor, pastel and charcoal, bringing a fine sense of color and balance to portraits, figure drawing, still-lifes and landscapes.

She resisted pressure to show or sell her work, preferring instead to give them to family and friends.

When Bob’s health began to fail in 1989, the Lindens moved to a condominium in Winslow, happily settling for a view of Seattle and the Cascades instead of their beloved Olympics.

It was there that Esther died from cancer, cared for by Janet and her second husband Frank Bennett, and with the wonderful support of Hospice Society and her many friends.

She is survived by her daughter Janet Bennett of Melbourne, Australia; grandson Robert Penny and great-granddaughter Mave Tyler-Penny, of Boston, Mass., and great granddaughters Elizabeth and Claire Proctor, of Melbourne.

Esther’s friends are welcome to join her family in celebrating her life on July 27 at midday at her home in Winslow.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances in her name may be made to Hospice of Kitsap County, PO Box 3416, Silverdale, WA 98383-3416.

Arrangements are under the direction of Kass Funeral Home, Bainbridge Island.