Linda Yarritu

WILDER, Vt. - Linda Yarritu, 61, of Wilder, died unexpectedly on October 3, 2026, while traveling in Massachusetts. She was the beloved wife of Fredric Glazer.

Linda was born on June 24, 1965, in Japan, to Homero and Hideko (Ikuta) Yarritu. Her father's military service brought the family to the United States in 1970, where they eventually settled in San Jose, Calif. From her earliest years, Linda grew up surrounded by different cultures and languages, experiences that would become a defining part of her life.

Linda earned a bachelor’s degree in German at San Francisco State University and went on to share her love of language by teaching German to adults and children. She spoke five languages -- English, German, Japanese, Spanish and French -- and her remarkable ability to communicate across cultures reflected her lifelong curiosity about the world and the people in it. In her later years, Linda devoted herself to caring for her mother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

Linda met her husband on the then-new internet in the mid-1990s. What began as an online friendship grew over several years. Linda and Fred first met in person in Boston in 2004. They discovered a shared love of language and travel, and their friendship blossomed into a lifelong partnership. They were married in San Francisco in 2007.

Linda had a deep love of cooking, particularly Asian cuisine, and embraced the Japanese traditions she inherited from her mother. She found great pleasure in preparing food and discovering new restaurants. Linda was exceptionally outgoing and curious. She was always interested in people and their stories, and she had a natural ability to make connections. Whether through a shared meal, a conversation in another language, a journey to a distant place or a chance encounter with a new friend, Linda approached life with openness and enthusiasm.

Travel was another of her great passions. One especially meaningful journey recently took Linda and Fred to the Basque Country in Northern Spain, where she explored her roots and had the joy of meeting distant relatives. Her travels were driven not only by a desire to see new places, but by a genuine interest in understanding the people, cultures and histories that made those places special.

Linda was predeceased by her mother in February. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her father, Homero, and siblings Elena, Delia and Daniel Yarritu, all of California.

The Knight Funeral Home in White River Junction, Vt., has been entrusted with arrangements. To leave condolences, visit the online guestbook at www.knightfuneralhomes.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association at alz.org.