BOWDOIN — Linda Louise Maines Rollins, 68, of Meadow Road, Bowdoin, died on July 18, 2015, in Brunswick, Maine. She was born on Dec. 1, 1946, in Bangor, Maine, the second child and first daughter of Julia “Pat” (Holmes) and John T. Maines. She was educated in local elementary schools in Old Town and East Holden, Maine. She attended Brewer High School where she graduated as valedictorian in 1965. From there she went on to attend and graduate as the valedictorian of the University of Maine at Orono in 1969. She also earned a Masters Degree in Education from Colorado University of Boulder in 1973.

Linda loved school and learning and was involved in basketball, track and field, along with other extracurricular activities throughout her high school years. At the University of Maine she was an All Maine Woman and a member of AOPi sorority. In later years she belonged to and led a wide variety of clubs and organizations focused on education and athletics.

In April of 1970 she married Douglas R. Rollins of Topsham, Maine. In the early years of their marriage they resided in San Francisco, California and Boulder, Col. before moving to Bowdoin, Maine, where the couple lived for more than 40 years and raised three daughters. In addition to her first career as a mom and a homemaker, Linda worked for 25 years as a Title I Tutor, helping elementary students with math and reading comprehension.

Above all else, Linda had a deep abiding love for her family, friends and community. She enjoyed socializing and entertaining and held an annual, much anticipated Christmas party that always culminated in an “awkward gift” exchange. She especially enjoyed cheering her children on at Mt. Ararat and college soccer games. Linda drew great joy from puttering and could fit more activities into a single day than most people do a week. She also loved renovating and remodeling and Doug has to admit she was a damn good carpenter. Linda spent countless hours with Doug in the woods splitting and harvesting wood for the long Bowdoin winters. Other less vigorous hobbies included reading, writing (especially poetry), cooking, gardening, and kayaking. She was also a proud and enthusiastic cofounder and former Commodore of the Bowdoin Yacht Club and a perennial and rabid watcher of the Triple Crown.

Linda is survived by her husband Doug, her daughter Katie Rollins and husband Joe Cheuvront, daughter Darcy (Rollins) Saas and husband Gerhard Saas, and daughter Laura (Rollins) Bryson and husband Matt Bryson. She is also survived by six rambunctious grandsons: Reid Cheuvront, Isaac, Anson, and Eliot Saas, and Tennant and Rhys Bryson. She is survived by brothers Steve Maines and wife Martha (Foss) Maines, Doug Maines and wife Debbie (MacGregor) Maines, and sister Martha Maines and husband Kevin Kelley, as well as Jim Good and wife Jerry Yoder, and countless wonderful nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by sister Susan (Maines) Good and parents John and Pat Maines.

The family would like to extend their sincere thanks to Dr. David Benton and Dr. Douglas Howell and their staffs, as well as the numerous family, friends, and neighbors that have provided love and support during Linda’s two year struggle with cancer.

A celebration of Linda’s life will be held on Saturday August 1st, at Sky Hy Conference Center in Topsham, Maine at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Topsham Public Library in care of the Linda Rollins Children’s Book Fund.