Linda fought a courage eight-month battle with cancer. She was supported during her battle by her sister Judith Finnegan of Kennebunkport, Maine, and nieces, Lori Parent and husband Wayne of New Boston, N.H., and Diane Kendall and husband Matthew of Manchester, Conn. Linda also leaves two wonderful grandchildren, Nicole and Matthew Johnson and their mother Bernadette of Enfield, Conn. Linda was also supported by many friends in Harpswell, Maine.
She was born on April 20, 1942, in Manchester, Conn., to Sylvester and Dorothy Barnes.
Linda and Doug worked at the A&P in Manchester where they met during their second year of high school. They have been together ever since. On December 14 of 2012 they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Linda was the best wife, mother, and friend a husband could wish for.
After graduating from high school, she worked for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in East Hartford, Conn., prior to being married to Doug on December 14, 1962. They lived in Foxboro, Mass., for four months before moving back to Connecticut when Doug accepted a new job with Hamilton Standard in Windsor Locks.
Her son Mark was born in October of 1963. Linda didn’t return to work until Mark was 16 years old. She returned to work for a temporary employment agency and then found a permanent job with Courier Citizen in Somersville, Conn. Her next job was with American Honda in Windsor Locks, Conn., where she worked until she retired in 2000.
Linda was an avid reader. She loved the outdoors and Doug and Linda spent many weekends and vacations camping. They camped all over this country, including an 8,000-mile trip that they took the first year after retirement.
Linda loved to travel. Her travels included Mexico, Germany, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Alaska, and most of the lower 48 states.
In 1987, Doug and Linda went camping at Hermit Island and took a ride down Route 24 in Harpswell. The views of the ocean and the friendliness of the people of Harpswell impressed them so much that they decided they wanted to move to Harpswell when they retired. In 1987, they purchased their house lot.
In 2001, Rob Miller started building their “dream house” which they moved into in October of 2002. Linda joined a quilting group in Cundy’s Harbor. She quickly took to this new hobby that she learned to love.
She took accordian lessons when she was a teenager and often indicated that she wished she had taken piano lessons. About two years ago, Doug purchased a Yamaha electric piano as a surprise Christmas gift. Linda started taking piano lessons and just loved playing the piano.
Linda made many new friends in Harpswell, a town that she learned to love and enjoy. Linda was very special! Remember her warmly for she lived well and fully with her values intact and her love for her husband, sister and family given without reservations.
Her life was crafted with intentionality and consumated with caring. She was truly skilled in the art of living. Rejoice that such a child of God lived among us with such clarity.
Live on in love, dear Linda. May God guide and bless you in your new journey of light! My love for you lives on.
Linda’s family and friends will celebrate her life at the Kennebec Tavern, 119 Commercial St. in Bath on Saturday, October 12, 2013, at noon.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cundy’s Harbor Fire and Rescue Department, C/O Burr Taylor, 45 Taylor Road, Harpswell, ME 04079.
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