Linda Dee Tong

Linda Dee Tong, 63, passed away peacefully at Langland House, her adult family home, with her family and friends by her side on April 5, 2011. She died of complications from young-onset Alzheimer's Disease. Linda was born on April 6, 1947, and grew up in Pasadena, Calif. She graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from California Polytechnic State University at Pomona in 1970. She worked in private business before she married her husband, Collin Tong on Sept. 19, 1971. Collin is a staff reporter for the International Examiner and Northwest stringer for the New York Times. For most of her professional career, Linda worked as an energy conservation management analyst at Seattle City Light. She previously served in several administrative posts as executive assistant to the chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley; assistant to the chair of the University of Washington English Department; and assistant to the chair of the sociology department at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Later in her career, Linda served as a Senate caseworker for the late U.S. Sen. Alan Cranston of California; budget officer for former King County Prosecuting Attorney Christopher T. Bayley; and education coordinator for the conservation division of the national League of Women Voters in Washington, DC. In 2005, Linda faced her most daunting challenge after being diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer's Disease at the young age of 57. In spite of the many hardships of that journey, Linda never lost sight of her love for others. Her warmth and smiles remained undiminished even in the face of her worsening health challenges. She will always be remembered as a generous, kind and devoted life partner, sister, daughter, aunt and steadfast friend to all who knew her. She is survived by her husband, Collin, mother, Mrs. Alma Young, brother and sister-in-law, Calvin and Doris Young, niece, Rachel, and nephew, Alex. A memorial service to celebrate the life of Linda Tong will be held at University Temple United Methodist Church, 1415 NE 43rd St., Seattle, WA. It begins at 3:00 pm, Sunday, April 17, [Palm Sunday] in the main sanctuary. A reception will be held in Preston Parlor immediately following the service. For more information, please call the church at [206] 632-5163 or office@utemple.org. For directions, http://utemple.org/home/. In lieu of flowers, Collin and Linda's family recommends that gifts be made, in her memory, to two organizations in Washington State that were instrumental in caring for Linda during her long struggle with young-onset Alzheimer's Disease: Alzheimer's Association, Western & Central Washington State Chapter, 100 W. Harrison Street, North Tower - Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98119, http://www.alz.org/alzwa/ or to Full Life Care *, 800 Jefferson Street, Suite 620, Seattle, WA 98104, http://www.fulllifecare.org/ *Formerly known as Elderhealth Northwest.