Linda McLaughlin '64

It is with a heavy heart that we share the sad news that Linda McLaughlin, Class of 19​64, has passed away​ on Sunday, September 17, 2023, at the Methodist Hospital in Richardson, Texas. May her memory be a blessing to us all.

To the American School Classmates of the Class of 1964:

It is with a heavy heart that I give you the sad news that Linda Louise McLaughlin passed away on Sunday, September 17, 2023, at the Methodist Hospital in Richardson, Texas.

A quick history follows:

In February of 2019, Linda came down from Anchorage to help me out with Dona (my wife) in the last month of her life when the effects of Alzheimer’s were at their height. Linda had learned of Dona’s condition at the AS reunion in 2018 and volunteered to help.

Linda immediately hit it off with my daughter, Michelle, and thus we invited her to come down for Thanksgiving and Christmas of that year. That became a tradition for the last four years. Linda would also visit during the summer. As you know Linda had no family left at all so my daughter and I adopted her to be part of our family.

She visited this summer from the middle of June through the 22nd of July then she returned to Anchorage. Once home she began to feel unwell and lost her appetite completely. That unwell feeling persisted, and she went to see her doctor about three weeks ago to see if there was something wrong. She had an MRI, and a tumor was detected on her pancreas that was pressing down on her stomach contributing to the loss of appetite. The Doctor told her that the tumor appeared to be benign, but I suggested that any thing to do with the pancreas should be attended to as soon as possible.

It was determined that there was no one in Anchorage that could handle the surgery necessary to remove the tumor where it was located on the pancreas, so her recommended choices for surgery were in Seattle, Washington or here in Richardson, Texas where Michelle and I live. She of course chose Richardson and made an appointment for Wednesday, September 13, 2023.

However, in the week and just days before coming to Texas, she became incredibly weak and slipped onto the floor and could not get up and twice had to call the EMT for them to get her up. Incredibly she managed to get onto her flight, despite her weakness, and arrived on Monday, 11 September. My daughter picked her up at the airport and noticed immediately that Linda was incredibly jaundiced (most likely because of the tumor on the pancreas) and in terrible condition. Michelle immediately took her to the Emergency room at the hospital where Linda’s surgeon practiced, and they admitted her on that Monday evening to the Methodist Hospital where they put her into the Intensive Care Unit.

Linda’s condition continued to deteriorate over the next several days, and toxins were building in her blood because her kidneys were failing to clear them. The doctors prepared her for dialysis on Wednesday evening after an endoscopy, because of a stomach bleed, and during that procedure they placed a stint in her bile duct. They began to perform dialysis trying to stabilize her condition before they could even consider surgery.

Michelle was by Linda’s side every day, and when I visited, I observed Linda’s spirits were always good, always positive and she, in typical Linda fashion, joked with everyone, medical staff and doctors as well. Despite all efforts to combat it, pancreatic cancer took its toll and she became unresponsive towards Saturday evening and by Sunday afternoon it was determined that the machines were all that were keeping her alive. I visited her around 4:00 PM and said goodbye, and around 6:00 PM she coded and at 6:40 PM we lost Linda.

As most of you know Linda worked for Delta Airlines for 32 years and went to Anchorage, Alaska in 1989 to manage the Delta Airlines Regional office and remained there for Delta until she retired in 2001 – 2002. Anchorage became her permanent home, a fact about which we often joked about being such a weather contrast to Manila. We spent many hours during her visits recounting our American School days and I am certain at one point of time or another we talked about each one of you, so if your ears at some time or another were burning that is why.

I think I can truthfully say, and that you would all agree, that those years at the American School in Manila were golden years that we all, each in our own special way, contributed to making them so. Linda was always a great part of that. Please remember her with good thoughts and fond memories because I am sure that for each of you that knew her there are many.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me regarding any of this. I wish you all well and thank you for your condolences and well wishes in advance.

Sincerely,

Conrad B. Myrick (Class of 1964)

Email: 1bn39Inf@sbcglobal.net