Linda Mae Wilson, 91, of Jacksonville, died peacefully on January 26, 2025.

Born to Millicent (Coleman) and Rodney Wilson on February 6, 1933, in Athol, Massachusetts, Linda was a resident of Rosecastle at Deerwood and a previous longtime resident at The Palms of Ponte Vedra, where she proudly served as a Welcome Ambassador to her assisted living community.

Linda settled in Hartford, Connecticut, and later, wintered in Barefoot Bay, Florida, until retiring there permanently. The third of seven children, Linda had an idyllic childhood in Athol, where she was educated and embarked on her 40-year career. She also traveled throughout Europe in the 1960s and was known for her cutting-edge fashion in the workplace.

Linda was employed by Timex, working her way up the ranks, and later, by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the District of Connecticut, where she worked closely with attorneys performing substantive paralegal documentation.

Linda was a talented piano and, later, organ player, learning from her father, who played piano "by ear" for the Silent Movies. She played the organ for various churches, events, and Barefoot Bay Little Theater, and entertained her fellow residents with music until the end of her life.

She was a member of several organ clubs, an avid golfer, and an award-winning ice skater in her age group until she hung up her skates in her late 60s. She delighted in performing with the Barefoot Bay Little Theater and was a fixture in its annual shows for many years.

Friends and colleagues remember Linda as soft-spoken, sweet, and kind. Recently, a caretaker described her, saying, "If someone cries, she holds their hand; if someone's sad, she gives them a hug; if someone has fallen, she tries to help them up."

Linda was a two-time cancer survivor with a "tough cookie" attitude who has faced all of life's challenges with determination and grace, never losing hope or her smile.

She is predeceased by her parents, sisters Barbara, Jeanne, and Janet, brother Warren, and great- granddaughter, Brenley.

She is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Nelson (Russ) of Jacksonville; two grandchildren, Andrew Nelson (Michelle) of Winter Garden and Ashley Nelson (Ryan) of Portland, Oregon; two great-grandsons, Brodie and Cooper Nelson; her sister, Carolyn Wright of Clarington, Ohio, and Barefoot Bay; her brother, John Wilson of Conway, Massachusetts; and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations should go to The Alzheimer's Association.

www. alz.org