Rhea Lindstrom

Date of Death: November 3, 2020

cemetery

At a later date
Arlington National Cemetery

Rhea passed away peacefully on November 3, 2020 at Westminster-Canterbury after having contracted Covid.

She was born 89 years ago in Los Angeles and was a proud graduate of UC Berkeley. From there Rhea went on to travel the world. She lived for many years in Alexandria, Virginia with her beloved husband, Skip (Dr. Ronald Engel), and several adored animal companions. A beautiful Siamese named Shiloh was her favorite for many years but soon Benji, a large red tabby came to hold a special place in her heart. While living in Winchester, Rhea made many new friends, including Penny, a caregiver and devoted friend, who added immeasurably to Rhea’s quality of life in her last years.

While Rhea had many, varied interests, the most meaningful part of her life was undoubtedly her relationships with people. She opened her heart and her home to people of all ages and from all walks of life, sharing her perspectives on life and her marvelous sense of humor. People loved her for her free spirit, unique style, caring soul and her ability to make others feel special and loved. Her greatest impact, though, came through her career as an educator. Her students often recalled that Rhea was the best teacher they ever had. She inspired hundreds, instilling in them an appreciation for art and literature, a life-long love of learning, and a confidence in their own unique abilities. She will live on through the contributions they have all made to our world.

As Rhea requested, no funeral or services will be held. She will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery alongside her husband Skip, whose intellectual curiosity and contributions as an administrator and researcher she so admired.

We invite you to share memories of Rhea on this page. All of us who knew and loved her will enjoy reading them and will never forget how this most creative and remarkable woman touched our lives in so many ways. We hope to hold a memorial gathering sometime in the future.

Eileen Goldschmidt and Linda Rothrock

Memory of Rhea

Rhea was a gentle, loving friend to us for many years. In 1975, Bob and I were married in the garden of her home in Old Town, Alexandria. In those days, we were on a very tight budget, and Rhea and Skip graciously opened their home to us and helped us plan the wedding. Through our many years of friendship, Rhea graced us with her deeply caring spirit, her love of people and animals, her wisdom, her sense of humor, and her appreciation of beauty in its many forms. She had an expert eye for decorating and made her surroundings a creative mélange of art and interesting things that always pleased the eye. More than anything, Rhea had a wonderful gift of making people feel loved, valued and a precious part of her life. She had the capacity to love unconditionally and was greatly loved in return.

Eileen & Bob Goldschmidt

A Memory of Rhea

A few years ago Rhea and I drove out to Middleburg for lunch. We were seated on an outdoor terrace with a few other diners including an older couple. When the woman got up to go to the ladies, the man approached Rhea to introduce himself, telling her she was so beautiful he had to come talk to her, asking if she came to Middleburg often and whether he might hope to see her again. Rhea attempted to brush him off. (She probably thought he was too old for her!) She had little success until the woman emerged from the restaurant and he skedaddled back to his seat.
Rhea at 85, still turning heads.

Linda Rothrock

My Favorite Memory of Rhea

Rhea often sent me letters and notes. They’d arrive, her handwriting instantly recognizable, with my name written in her elegant, flowery script, making me feel like a very important person indeed. Even without her elegant script, there was no mistaking who had sent the missive. The envelope was always adorned with at least one animal, usually a bunny, a flower or symbol appropriate to the season, and a few random doodles. At least one or two thoughts she had forgotten to include ran around the edge of the envelope, upside down and sideways, intertwined among her drawings. My favorites were those she sent before departing on a trip. Inside would be a reminder of the combination to her safe and where she had hidden various valuables. She’d include instructions for taking care of her current pets, her house, sometimes a plant, and important names and numbers. The letter of instructions would start out on a note card or sheet of paper but always ended up on some random scrap pulled from a pad or written on an article she had read and decided to send along. That was Rhea. Her thoughts and creativity could not be confined to any conventional form. They’d appear wherever they arose, spilling across pages and seeping out of the envelope of her life.

Linda Rothrock

A Memory of Rhea

Timeless. Mysterious. Loving. Surprising. Beyond the incredible stories of unmatched adventure, Rhea was a warm-hearted, welcoming friend who valued the people in her life. Our family is forever changed because of the truth and life she spoke into Rebecca during a time of unexplained, poor health. Without Rhea’s insight and personal valuation of Rebecca beyond what life conveyed, Rebecca would never have journeyed on a path toward health and freedom and our family would continue to suffer greatly. We are beyond grateful for her love and grace of truth in our lives. Moreover, we witnessed this love and concern she shared for others in her life, especially for those who were disadvantaged. She leaves a legacy of love and zest for life. She is known to our children as “Grandma Rhea” and will remain timeless in our memory. With much love, Rhea, we take delight in knowing you are now face-to-face with Jesus, the one who shows us how to love..

Eric and Rebecca Murakami

Bethia Sherman (Betsy)

Light a candle

At a later date
Arlington National Cemetery

Rhea passed away peacefully on November 3, 2020 at Westminster-Canterbury after having contracted Covid. She was born 89 years ago in Los Angeles and was a proud graduate of UC Berkeley. From there Rhea went on to travel the world. She lived for many years in Alexandria, Virginia with her beloved husband, Skip (Dr. RonaldContinue Reading

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I was in my attic today going through old photos looking for something, and found an old report card from Mrs. Lindstrom in 1982. Google search led me here. She was a wonderful teacher and I've thought of her many times over the years. I'm sorry I can't email or call her now, but my memories of her and inspiration for learning and fostering relationships will last with everyone she touched. God Bless you Mrs. Lindstrom.

I just learned that Mrs. Lindstrom - my 5th and 6th grade teacher in Virginia in the late 1970’s, passed away in November. She had an incredibly profound impact on my life in a positive way. From Rhea, I learned to love learning, to believe in myself, to notice and respect everyone’s unique skills and talents, to want to learn about far away places and people, to ask for help. We studied Spanish and Shakespeare, algebra and the architecture of the National Cathedral, dyed Ukrainian Easter eggs and composed and performed our own music, studied mealworms and rock sections, built igloos out of styrofoam and learned how to make kites and how to fish. She was an extraordinarily gifted educator and was a visionary when it came to working with children who had different skill sets, but her secret weapon was that she LOVED us. All of us. Fiercely. And we knew it. And we loved her back. She is the reason I went into the Peace Corps and the reason I became a teacher. Today my heart is breaking, but her spirit lives on in so many of us. ?❤️

I am so sorry just now to see this. This was posted on the Facebook Group I made called “Mrs lLindstroms 5th and 6th grade class”. So that right there shows you how her memory has lived on. We were fortunate to have had her for two years back in the late 70s due to some kind of teaching changeover (and Hi to Mrs Rothrock who we had for 4th). She was a profound-the most profound- influence. I still remember the bones in the body and lots of Shakespeare from her. It’s hard to say how much Old Keene Mill shaped our life, but our class has gone on to many impressive careers. Thank you for posting.

My memories of Rhea began when I asked Madison College to allow me to student teach at The Stratford Landing Elementary Gifted & Talented Center. Little did I know how fortunate I would be to have Rhea as my mentor. I soon realized I was in the presence of greatness. Knowing Rhea professionally was tremendous but the personal relationship that we developed was tremendous and one of the most memorable highlights of my life. Being in my 20s and spending time with Rhea and Skip was so enlightening and cherished. Eventually my parents met them and began spending time with them too. There are many, many memories making it hard to single out just one. I love them all and especially every moment I spent with Rhea. We need more Rheas in the world. Rest in peace my friend.

Sweet Rhea. Looked fabulous in black. Whether she walked into the room or you walk into the room she's in, her presence was all encompassing and always about the people she was with, never about her. Always interested in others' stories. Then there were her stories. Stories from her travels in Europe after Berkeley that kept me captivated. Rhea and my mother Georgia were college pals and remained so until my mother's passing two years ago. My siblings and I never had any aunts, uncles or cousins so Rhea and Tal, and later gentle and kind Skip, were like family, visiting often, and we'd stay with them in Alexandria. My little family and I lived in Vienna twice and both times we lived there, Rhea and Skip came on business to the U.N. I insisted they spend one night with us after dinner and not go back to the hotel. They slept on our sofa hide-a-bed and I could hear them laughing below, realizing later how awkward and uncomfortable it was. Always kind and generous. That big laugh. That big presence. We love you, Rhea. We're grateful you're with Skip and Georgia.

Peace of mind is a call away. We're here when you need us most.

She taught my son for two years and was an inspiration to him. And to us all! A vibrant, alive woman, she threw the book for teachers out the window and did it by the seat of her pants. She was simply wonderful and I think that all kids who had her would say so.

I am saddened to discover the passing of Rhea. She was one of my most cherished relatives as my mother's cousin. I always enjoyed our talks on the phone and the special time I was able to visit with her back in 2002. She was truly a treasure and gave so much to others. I praise God she accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior and is with Jesus now, freed from her earthly body with Alzheimer's. I will rejoice when I see her again.

I shall long remember Rhea's smile and wonderful sense of humor. Rhea was always caring about how others were doing. I shall long remember Rhea and all those many conversations we both enjoyed.

While my children attended the Gifted Center at Keene Mill elementary school, Mrs. Lindstrom came on board. She was like a breath of fresh air to her class. I was fortunate enough to hear many of her stories second hand. At Christmas time, she invited all the girls to her home in Old Town for tea and cookies and to stoll the streets and view the holiday parade. Her influence was profound. My daughters both became elementary school teachers, one went on to live in Old Town. It was always a pleasure to run into her or to hear about her activities from others who did. She was a treasured gift to her students and friends.

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.