She was born in 1943 in Concord, Massachusetts, grew up in New Hampshire, and was proud of being made of “Northern New England grit.” Her parents, Phyllis (Spencer-Hoyt) and Lester Pearson, owned the store in the small town of East Derry. She loved telling stories about the adventures her and her sister had growing up just above the family store.
Linda loved to read and was delighted when she read her way through the town library’s entire children section by the time she was 8.
Linda graduated from Boston University’s nursing program in 1965. She then moved to New York City where she earned her double masters in psychiatric nursing and nursing education from Columbia. In 1977, she moved to Maine and started working at Maine Medical Center, advancing to Director of Nursing Resources. After 29 years she retired, but always said “once a nurse always a nurse.”
Linda always put her children first. She raised them in North Saco where she would take them on walks through the woods and encouraged them to get dirty, catch frogs, ride bikes, and climb trees. Combining New Englander grit with a nurse meant that she often said things like “you’re too young to have a headache” and “drink more water” for most childhood ailments, and going to a doctor was out the question when a little rest and some Tylenol could fix you right up.
Her wonderful sense of humor and ability to talk to children of all ages as humans led to her accumulating honorary children throughout her life. Her children’s friends often called her second mom and loved her frankness and sarcasm. Once retired she moved to Sarasota, Florida where she helped raise her grandniece, whom she adored and was immensely proud of.
Linda is survived by her sister, Joan Jenkins; her children, Nathan (Senika) Hatfield of Glendora, California, Victoria (Brian) Pearson of Tallahassee, Florida; three grandchildren, Hope Pelletier, Emmy Hatfield, and Emmett Hatfield; her nephew Steven “Teddy” Smith; her niece Lesley Webber; and her grandniece Jazlyn Qualls.
A celebration of Linda’s life will be held at Toale Brothers Funeral Home in Sarasota, Florida.
In lieu of flowers please send donations to the American Civil Liberties Union.
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