Linda Rose Raden Memorial Scholarship

This annual scholarship was re-established by the Franklin Pierce Foundation upon receipt of an endowment from the estate of James P. Raden. From 2004 through 2011 Mr. Raden had annually funded a scholarship in the memory of his sister, Linda Rose Raden, who attended Franklin Pierce High School.

The Linda Rose Raden Scholarship is intended to assist a Franklin Pierce High School graduating senior in the pursuit of a career in the medical field.

• Must be a graduating senior planning a career in the medical field.
• Must have maintained at least a 2.5 GPA as a student at Franklin Pierce High School.
• Must plan on attending a 2-year or 4-year post-secondary institution.

The Franklin Pierce High School Scholarship Committee will select the recipient. An alternate shall be selected and the scholarship shall be awarded to that individual if the primary award winner does not meet the requirements of the scholarship.

About Linda Rose Raden and James Peter Raden

Born in 1955 with Down syndrome, Linda was the youngest of nine children. Although her body and mind may have been handicapped, her love was not. Her kindness was always displayed in a friendly grin. She was a positive person whose outlook on life was always bright. She attended Franklin Pierce High School and was an active and much loved member of St. John of the Woods Catholic Church. As time went on she suffered through various medical conditions but she continued to show that grace and true inner beauty that touched those around her. She passed away November 17, 2003.

Linda’s brother, James (Jim) Peter Raden, was born in 1928 and was the oldest. The family moved from Minnesota to Puyallup in 1943 and Jim graduated from Puyallup High School in 1947. He proudly served four years in the United States Navy and then had a variety of other jobs in the Puget Sound area. In 1970 he settled into a career as a firefighter and EMT. When he was not on duty he drove an ambulance, worked in the ER at Good Samaritan Hospital and offered his time to the Red Cross teaching first aid classes. After retiring as a captain from the fire department, he became a licensed massage therapist and donated time providing massage therapy to AIDS patients.

Jim was totally committed to his family and community. He was a lifelong member of St. John of the Woods Catholic Church and was a very active member of the South Hill Rotary Club. He took great pride in being on a committee to mandate that students with disabilities be given a “Certificate of Completion” and be allowed to participate in high school graduations.

After the death of his father, Jim returned to help his mother tend to the family farm and over the years he became his mother’s primary caregiver. He also cared for Linda, his younger sister. For many years, Jim made weekly trips to St. Joseph’s Hospital for Linda’s dialysis. He cared for his mother and sister willingly and without complaint.

Upon the death of Linda in 2003, Jim established a scholarship in Linda’s memory at Franklin Pierce High School. He funded the scholarship annually through 2011. Jim passed away in September of 2016 and the next year the Franklin Pierce Foundation received an endowment from Jim’s estate which allowed the Foundation to re-establish the Linda Rose Raden Memorial Scholarship.

• Receipt of a completed Scholarship Acceptance Form will hold this scholarship for the student. The scholarship can be held no longer than 16 months after June 30th of the year of graduation from high school.
• Upon receipt of Proof of Enrollment Form including a student ID number, funds will be released to the institution in the name of the student.