It is with love and sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Linda Dianne Darnell on Saturday, July 25, 2026, surrounded by family during a beautiful sunset in Birchwood, Wisconsin.

Born in Denver, Colorado on August 19th, 1957, Linda’s adventurous spirit took her up the mountains of Colorado as a surveyor and then to Alaska at the age of 22. Sometime between playing softball under the midnight sun, snowmachining under the northern lights, working at Mushing Magazine and the Palace Saloon, she fell in love with Alaska, built everlasting friendships, and started a family.

Linda was a loving mother of her children Aaron and Morgan Simpson and Josh and Sarah Peet, as well as her adopted Becker Ridge kids and others. She created a home with the goal to “give them roots and wings” and would tell us to “Dream Big.”

Linda saw the spark within people and nurtured it, encouraging others to follow their hearts. On Becker Ridge, her dream was to one day live on the beach, pretending as she looked out over a sea of ice fog. That dream came true with the love of her life, Dave Peet.

Linda and Dave started traveling to Belize, where they bought a home, spent their winters, and fell in love with the amazing culture and people. Linda was a talented artist; she learned to paint after retirement. She created beautiful landscapes and captured emotions in portraits in watercolor, acrylic, and oil paint. She loved her artist friends, who were very special to her. We know she will still be painting – with sunsets, reflections, dancing shadows and sunlight.

Linda was preceded in death by her beloved mother and stepfather, Jolene and Richard Moul; her father and stepmother, Warren and Mayme Darnell; her brothers, Michael and Gary Darnell; and her faithful companion, Bella, her beloved dog, who was undoubtedly waiting to greet her with great enthusiasm.

She leaves behind a family who will forever cherish her memory, including her loving husband, Dave Peet; her children, Morgan and Aaron Simpson, Josh and Sarah Peet; her niece, Devon Lawrence; her nephews, Dain and Derek Darnell; her beloved grandchildren, Brooke Marhenke and Lily Peterson; Andreé, Sean, and Toby Thies; and many extended family members and dear friends whose lives were forever touched by her love and kindness.

While our hearts are broken by her passing, we find comfort in the memories of her gentle heart, adventurous spirit, remarkable strength, and unwavering devotion to those she loved. We will forever cherish the beauty she created – not only through her artwork, but through the countless memories she gave us. Her legacy lives on in her family and in every act of kindness inspired by her example. Though she is no longer with us, the love she shared and the lives she touched will remain with us always.

A celebration of life at the Blue Hills Masonic Center in Rice Lake, Wisconsin on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 from 12-4pm.

Last Update: Aug 04, 2026 9:49 am CDT