They called her the "Mayor of the Dog Park."

On Feb. 8, 2022, Linda Abrahams passed away at the age of 74.

Regulars at the Okotoks Off Leash Dog Park knew her for a few things including her humour, her love of dogs, and her West Country accent.

Mark Meincke, the Okotoks resident who started the Okotoks Dog Park Facebook group, recalls a community forming around her.

"We would all get together at 4 o'clock, Monday to Friday at the dog park. There'd be a whole herd of us. Over the last five years, I've watched that herd of people grow. Even people who weren't part of that wolf pack of people, everybody knew Linda because everybody would want to stop and join for a bit to chat with her before they go on their way.

"We all knew each other and our personal stories quite well. The amount of sharing, it was like a peer support group. Much more than surface level, it's not like we were just talking about the weather with each other, we'd really talk about our lives at the dog park within that group, and Linda was the centre of that."

Walking with Linda was a big part of the dog park experience for its frequenters.

According to Meincke, the town's landscaping personnel made sure to trim the grass around the perimeter fence as Linda's health declined so that she could brace herself if need be.

Walks with Linda took longer than they used to during that time, but he doesn't recall anyone complaining.

In the days when she wasn't able to make it to the park, friends of hers would pay her a visit at home and take her dogs out for her.

Meincke chuckled when asked where Linda got her mayoral title.

"She'd tell people what's what. If they weren't picking up after themselves or anything like that, Linda was always kind, but she'd tell you what's what. She'd be policing the park in the best possible way and was a centre point for arranging the dog poop pickup days and anything to do with keeping that place clean and organized, she was a part of it."

Linda cared for several rescue dogs and was a big supporter of Pound Rescue.

In the weeks since her passing, several tributes to Linda have been posted, including Pound Rescue themselves:

"Linda had a big heart, and a big mouth (sorry Linda!), and used both well, to help animals and speak up for them. Linda, you will be so terribly missed. "

For Meincke, who was just one of many Okotokians who grew to love spending time around Linda, her way of living is something people should aspire to.

"Just be yourself. I think that's why Linda was as magnetic as she was, she was unapologetically herself. She didn't put on airs, she didn't have any ego, she was authentic. Genuine and authentic. Unabashedly so. That's a lesson that everybody can learn from."