In memoriam: Linda Thompson, 1961 - 2011

Linda Thompson, a longtime administrative assistant at Western Washington University, passed away March 1 after a long, courageous battle with cancer.

Linda was born May 3, 1961, and would have celebrated her 50th birthday this year.

She was full of energy, donating her time and expertise both to the students she served at her beloved Western and the the veterans she cared for as a volunteer for the Veterans' Administration. During the lulls between her chemotherapy sessions, Thompson often would drive veterans to their hospital appointments in Seattle, keeping them company along the way. Linda also was a regular volunteer at the Womencare Shelter in Bellingham, says longtime friend Cathy Cleveland, a secretary senior in the Department of Engineering Technology at Western.

Linda was hired at Western on Aug. 19, 1988, and she loved it from the day she arrived.

"She really loved working at Western," Cleveland says. "It made her feel good to be able to help people and to solve students' problems."

Cleveland describes Thompson as a real go-getter, someone who attacked life with gusto. Other colleagues, including Julie Marx, who worked with Linda in Western's Computer Science Department starting in 2000, agree. To Marx, Linda was spunky, loyal, dedicated and wholly focused on her job of helping students.

"She had a real zest for life," says Cleveland. "There was a time in between her cancer treatments when she was just doing everything fun she could, like skydiving and sailing. Linda had a very positive outlook, and she liked people. She was definitely a loyal friend."

Linda worked various jobs in her time at Western, including in the departments of Liberal Studies and Computer Science. She eventually left Western for good in April of 2006 after nearly 18 years at WWU.

She is survived by her sister, Sheila Thompson, of Missouri; daughter Wendy Isenhart and her husband, Jeff, and granddaughter, Justice; and son Victor Sweet and granddaughter Lenaya and grandson Logan, all of Bellingham.

Donations can be made in Linda's honor to a local animal shelter or hospice care facility.