Kay Ruth Link, age 73, of Shakopee, MN, passed away on Saturday, July 13, 2019, at Ridgeview Hospital in Waconia. Kay was born on January 19, 1946, in Brookings, SD, the daughter of Leonard and Dorothy (Slife) Seyller. Kay graduated from Brookings High School and attended the University of South Dakota.
Kay will be remembered in many ways to those who knew her: friend, community member, co-worker, baker, crafter, pet mom, musician, and loving mother and grandmother. Kay’s friends and family knew her as someone who was always ready with a listening ear, a helping hand, a spunky sense of humor—and more than a little fondness for Coca-Cola. Over the years, she gave back to her community through delivering Meals on Wheels, volunteering with women at the Shakopee Women’s Correctional Facility, and many community projects with the Jaycees. Kay made many friends over her long career in administrative support, patient care, and customer service at Valleyfair’s corporate office, two reinsurance companies, a dental clinic, a nursing home, and a teleconference service.
She was beloved for her skillful baking and generosity with her delicious creations; among her favorites were her famous salted caramels, which were known to cause battles for the last of a batch. When not baking, Kay loved to try her hand at different crafts over the years, including silk flower arranging, cake decorating, knitting and crocheting, sewing, stamping, scrapbooking, beadwork, decoupage, and most recently, adult coloring.
Kay was never without a beloved (read “spoiled”) pet or two, having adopted several rescue dogs and cats over the years; she is survived by her cat, Luna, who warmly welcomed everyone to Kay’s apartment. The daughter of a gifted pianist, Kay was an accomplished flutist and piccolo player who shared her musical gift freely with her church, pit orchestras, and concert bands across the Twin Cities and on concert band tours to Australia, France, Great Britain, and Greece. She shared this musical passion closely with her son Steve, who played in many of the same pit orchestras and bands and sang alongside Kay in their church choir. Kay was an incredibly proud, loving mother and grandmother who loved to spend time with her sons and granddaughter and to share their joys and accomplishments with anyone who would listen. However Kay touched others’ lives, she sought to love and be loved in return.
She is survived by her sons, Brian (Heidi Von Bokern) Dahl and Steve Dahl; one granddaughter, Brianna Dahl; first husband, Don Dahl, and many friends. She is preceded in death by her parents; and second husband, Jim Link.
Visitation Saturday, July 27, 10-11 a.m. followed by Celebration of Life at 11 a.m., all held at McNearney-Schmidt Funeral and Cremation, 1220 3rd Ave. East, Shakopee, MN, #952-445-2755. Officiating is Chaplain Randy Ruckdashel. Family prefers memorials to the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus, 528 Hennepin Avenue, Suite 307, Minneapolis, MN 55403.
Condolences may be shared at www.mcnearneyfuneralhome.com.
