Louise Lynne Yangas Lin was born to Louis and Helen Yangas on August 17, 1939, in Chicago Illinois and died on June 12, 2023, at her home in Salem Lakes Wisconsin.
After her father’s death when she was only 5, she and her sister Barbara and brother Richard lived and attended school at St. Joseph’s Bohemian Orphanage in Lisle Illinois. After high school graduation, she moved to Florida but returned to the midwest where she lived the rest of this life.
Louise was a lifelong student and earned a Master of Metaphysics from the University of Metaphysics in 1997 and achieved the Responder degree from the School of Metaphysics in 1998. She continued to learn and live spiritual practices, including drum circles, yoga, and the great truths of easy does it, keep it simple, and stay in the day. She lived these practices in her paid employment, which included waitressing, aiding emotionally disturbed adults at Southern Center in Union Grove, walking the first picket line for unionized State of Wisconsin employees, and serving as a transitional foster parent for orphaned developmentally delayed adults.
Louise cherished motherhood and her six children: James Jacobs, Glen Roth, Dawn Roth, Patrick Lambke, David Roth and Duane Nicholas. She relished the joys of being a grandmother to Murti Das, John Kavalauskas, Amanda Jade, Eric Roth, Brian Kavalauskas, Tina Roth-Torres, Trina Tomczyk, Britnee Ulicki, Patrick Lambke-Daniel and Raven Lambke-Daniel and her many great-grandchildren.
Louise’s practice of mothering was expansive and included many men and women in (and out of) recovery programs. Children she encountered were very likely to find themselves giggling and learn the song of Miss Mary Mack. Louise was a great friend, especially with Barb DeBerge, Mary Masterson, Linda Naekrsz and Patti Paul, and her laugh, wit and wisdom will continue to resonate for those who knew her. She modeled recovery and healing and persevered through tragedy including surviving the deaths of her sons James, Glen and David. In addition to her sons, she was preceded in death by her parents, her sister and brother, and her former spouses James Jacobs, Glenard Roth, and David Nicholas.
She loved to host gatherings of family and friends, including many years of the Cooking Club. Her witch’s cackle and missing tooth were fixtures on Halloween. She played a wicked game of ping pong throughout her life, was a talented and intuitive cook, a beautiful singer, and a graceful dancer.
The joy of living glowed throughout her days, and she will be sorely missed by her wife and
partner of 35 years, Barbara Hanson.
A celebration of Louise’s life will be held on Saturday June 24 from 1 PM to 5 PM at the Lake
Shangri-La Community Center 22112 121st St, Bristol, WI 53104. A brief service will be held at
3:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, friends can join Louise in supporting Compassion and Choices.org
and groups which support recovery from abuse and addiction.
