Linda Marie (Torning) Halley, 77, of Minnetonka, MN passed away peacefully in her sleep Friday, April 3, 2026, at her home with her beloved husband Mike at her side after a 2+ year battle with cancer.

Linda was born April 13, 1948, in St. Paul, MN to Walter and Martha Torning. Linda really liked growing up in the St. Paul working class neighborhood she and her family lived in, and she particularly enjoyed playing outside with her neighbors, going to school (she attended private Catholic schools), and as a teenager going to dances hosted by her high school and others around town. She also began working as soon as she was able to and her very 1st job was in the kitchen in Midway Hospital doing meal prep. In 1970, Linda graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in social work after paying her own way through college.

Linda married Michael Halley on October 23, 1970. The two were each other’s lifelong companions for the next 55 plus years. They were blessed with three children: Mark, Benjamin, and Laura. Having a family was Linda’s foremost personal mission in life and being a mom (and later a grandma) was Linda’s greatest joy.

Linda was a stay-at-home mom and active volunteer throughout her kids’ childhoods. After she launched all her kids, she got a job at St. David’s Child Development & Family Services as a STEEP (Steps Toward Effective & Enjoyable Parenting) Case Manager, a job she was tailor made to do and was her favorite paid job of her life. It involved doing home visits with and facilitating group events for 1st time mothers and their babies who were deemed at risk. She left this job when her 1st grandchild Kamryn was born so that she could take care of her (and thereafter her subsequent grandchildren) up to two days a week prior to them going to school.

Giving to others and sharing her gifts to try to make the world a better place through volunteering has always been very important to Linda. She started volunteering as a kid for neighbors in need. As an adult, her volunteer work has included teaching pregnant women breathing and other relaxation techniques, and doing a lot of volunteer work in her kids’ public school system, in her church (which has included being a part of St. Joan’s social justice and antiracism committees), and for the Minnetonka Music Association, where she managed the Minnetonka Chamber Choir during her daughter Laura’s high school years and also sang with and supported the adult Symphony Chorus. She also served on the task force for the Minnetonka Community Housing Team (which advocated for more affordable housing in her city).

Linda most enjoyed being with the many people that she loved. She also loved reading, cooking, baking, eating really good food, gardening, and being in the beauty of nature. Her favorite place to visit over and over again was the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Linda is survived by her husband Michael Halley; her children, Mark (Alison) Halley, Benjamin Halley, and Laura (John) Hensley; her five grandchildren Kamryn & Tanner Halley, Chris Halley, and Cooper & Ada Hensley; her two brothers Walter (Marsha) Torning and Roger (Carol)  Torning; her brother-in-law Roger Derrick; many nieces and nephews and other extended family members; and so many friends. She is preceded in death by her parents Walter and Martha Torning and her dear sister Patty Derrick.

Linda will be remembered as a loving mother, a very engaged and loving grandmother, a faithful partner to her husband Michael, a good friend, and as a source of grounded-ness, emotional security, comfort, kindness, generosity, and wisdom to many.

Linda’s immediate family would like to offer a special thank you to the Methodist Hospital staff, including Dr. Rachel Lerner in particular, and their hospice staff for the medical treatment and compassionate care they provided her during her 2+ year battle with cancer.

A memorial service will be held on May 1st, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 4537 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55419. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service.  Lunch and a reception will follow at Saint Joan of Arc. The service will be live-streamed. To reach that link, visit the funeral notices page of St. Joan of Arc’s website. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to any of the following: Arm in Arm in Africa, Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, and ICA Food Shelf.