Obituary of Linda Niven

Linda Grueskin Niven, 75, passed away Jan. 3, 2023, after more than five years of treatment for breast cancer. She is survived by her loving husband, David Patterson, her devoted son, Brian Niven (wife Shannon Niven), granddaughters Madilyn and Ireland Niven, sister Sally Kaplan, brothers Mark Grueskin and Bill Grueskin, sisters-in-law Lola Farber Grueskin and Caryl Yanow, and seven adoring nephews and nieces.

Niven was born in Sioux City, Iowa, and moved to Colorado Springs when she was 10 years old. She graduated from Cheyenne Mountain High School and then Barnard College in New York City, where she majored in economics and French. She also received a law degree from the University of Colorado.

She served as a prosecutor in Adams County and then pursued a career at Colorado National Bank while attending the University of Denver for a master’s in business administration. She was promoted to be a vice-president at the bank, one of the first women to reach that level. Then, she turned her talents to nonprofit institutions in Colorado, many of which were facing challenging financial situations. Linda made a career of helping such groups establish sound managerial practices so they could provide critically needed services. Among the organizations she worked with were Warren Village, the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, the Jewish Community Center of Denver, and the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation.

Once she righted their financial ships, nonprofits routinely asked Linda to work for them full time. She usually declined, wanting to move on to the next organization that was facing its own challenge.

She was a committed mother and grandmother, attending countless concerts, soccer matches and graduations. She was also devoted to her parents, Charlotte and Harold Grueskin, and spent many hours assisting them as they dealt with their medical issues.