Linda Gill

Linda Broderick Gill

June 3, 1958- Aug 28, 2017

Linda​ ​Broderick​ ​Gill,​ ​a​ ​longtime​ ​Marin​ ​athlete,​ ​coach,​ ​friend,​ ​wife,​ ​and​ ​mother,​ ​passed​ ​away peacefully​ ​on​ ​August​ ​28,​ ​​surrounded​ ​by​ ​her​ ​husband​ ​and​ ​four​ ​daughters.​ ​She​ ​was​ ​59​ ​years old.
Linda​ ​was​ ​born​ ​on​ ​June​ ​3,​ ​1958​ ​in​ ​Mill​ ​Valley,​ ​California​ ​to​ ​Louetta​ ​and​ ​William​ ​Broderick.​ ​Linda​ ​attended​ ​Tamalpais​ ​High​ ​School, where​ ​she​ ​​developed​ ​what​ ​​would​ ​become​ ​a​ ​lifelong​ ​passion​ ​for​ ​running​ ​the​ ​trails​ ​of​ ​Marin County.​ ​Under​ ​the​ ​mentorship​ ​of​ ​Coach​ ​Bruce​ ​Grant,​ ​in​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​establishing​ ​Tamalpais​ ​High School​ ​Records​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mile​ ​and​ ​800m​ ​which​ ​stand​ ​to​ ​this​ ​day,​ ​she​ ​won​ ​the​ ​prestigious CIF ​High​ ​School​ ​State​ ​Championships​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mile​ ​in​ ​1976.​ ​She held​ ​the​ ​County​ ​record​ ​​for​ ​39​ ​years.​ ​In​ ​a​ ​recent​ ​email,​ ​Mr​. ​Grant​ ​wrote​ ​to​ ​Linda,​ ​"It ​was​ ​obvious​ ​to​ ​me​ ​that my​ ​greatest​ ​single​ ​thrill​ ​in​ ​track​ ​ever​ ​was​ ​watching​ ​you​ ​break​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​pack​ ​and​ ​sprint​ ​to the​ ​state​ ​championship​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mile."
She​ ​continued​ ​her​ ​athletic​ ​career​ ​at​ ​UCLA,​ ​where​ ​she​ ​was​ ​an​ ​All-American​ ​and​ ​member​ ​of​ ​the 1977​ ​NCAA​ ​Division​ ​1​ ​Cross​ ​Country​ ​National​ ​Championship​ ​team.​ ​Linda​ ​​excelled​ ​at​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​races​ ​both​ ​locally​ ​and​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​country​ ​including​ ​winning the​ ​fastest​ ​women's​ ​trophy​ ​and​ ​multiple​ ​top-35​ ​black​ ​tee​ ​shirts​ ​at​ ​Marin's​ ​famous​ ​Dipsea​ ​race and​ ​was​ ​a​ ​two​-time​ ​Fifth​ ​Ave​ ​Mile​ ​champion.​ ​Most​ ​recently,​ she​ ​finished​ ​11th​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world​ ​at​ ​the 800m​ ​finals​ ​at​ ​the​ ​2011​ ​USATF​ ​Master's​ ​World​ ​Championships.​ ​She​ ​was​ ​inducted​ ​into​ ​the Marin​ ​County​ ​Athletic​ ​Foundation​ ​Hall​ ​of​ ​Fame.​ ​
Linda's​ ​love​ ​for​ ​competing​ ​​and​ ​mentoring​ ​young​ ​people​ ​spilled​ ​over​ ​to​ ​coaching​ ​high school cross​ ​country​ ​and​ ​track​ ​at​ ​Branson​, Drake​​, ​and​ ​Marin​ ​Catholic High Schools,​ ​as​ ​well as​ ​to​ ​help​ ​train​ ​individual​ ​athletics​ ​in​ ​the​ ​community.​ ​Linda​ ​could inspire​ ​athletes​ ​to​ ​rise​ ​to​ ​athletic​ ​performances​ ​beyond​ ​their​ ​current​ ​level​ ​of​ ​skill​ ​or​ ​fitness,​ ​and facilitated​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​work​ ​ethic​ ​and​ ​desire​ ​to​ ​compete​ ​while​ ​having​ ​fun​ ​in​ ​the​ ​process.​ ​​She continued​ ​this​ ​passion​ ​by​ ​founding​ ​Ran​ ​Marin​ ​which​ ​helped​ ​train​ ​young​ ​athletes​ ​at​ ​all​ ​levels​ ​as well​ as ​help​ ​to​ ​preserve​ ​the​ ​rich​ ​heritage​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Marin​ ​County​ ​running community. She​ ​was well-loved​ ​by​ ​her​ ​athletes​ ​and​ ​continued​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​part​ ​of​ ​their​ ​lives​.
More​ ​than​ ​anything​ ​else​ ​Linda​ ​loved​ ​her​ ​family​ ​and​ ​raising​ ​her​ ​four​ ​daughters.​ ​As​ ​wife​ ​and mother​ ​she​ ​included​ ​unconditional​ ​love​ ​and​ ​an​ ​infectious​ ​love​ ​of​ ​life​ ​in​ ​everything​ ​she​ ​did.​ ​​She loved​ ​passing​ ​on​ ​to​ ​them​ ​the​ ​family​ ​values​ ​that​ ​were​ ​shared​ ​by​ ​her​ ​parents​ ​Lou​ ​and​ ​Bill. Holiday​ ​traditions​ ​were​ ​especially​ ​important​ ​to​ ​her​. ​​She​ ​​faced​ ​her​ ​illness​ ​with​ ​the same​ ​determination,​ ​passion​, ​​and​ ​grace​ ​that​ ​she​ ​lived​ ​her​ ​life.​ ​She​ ​enjoyed​ ​the​ ​many​ ​simple things​ ​in​ ​life​ ​like​ ​early​ ​morning​ ​sunrises,​ ​coffees​ ​with​ ​her​ ​many​ ​friends​, ​and​ ​long​ ​Sunday​ ​runs. The​ ​sound​ ​of​ ​her​ ​voice​ ​will​ ​forever​ ​echo​ ​and​ ​grace​ ​​the​ ​mountains,​ ​lakes​, ​and​ ​trails​ ​of​ ​Marin County.
She​ ​is​ ​survived​ ​by​ ​her​ ​loving​ ​husband​ ​Michael,​ ​daughters​ ​Liz​,​ ​Caitlin​,​ ​Caroline​ ​and​ ​Natalie, step​ ​daughter​ ​Jennifer​, ​​grandchildren​ ​Mckenna,​ ​Gregory​ ​and​ ​Michael, ​and​ ​sisters​ ​Bonnie​ ​and Jill.​ ​A​ ​Memorial​ ​Mass​ ​will​ ​be​ ​held​ ​at​ ​Saint​ ​Anselm's​ ​Church​ ​Ross​ ​at​ ​11:00​ ​AM​ ​Friday September​ ​15th​ ​2017.​ ​Reception​ ​to​ ​follow.​ ​Donations​ ​can​ ​be​ ​made​ ​to​ ​the​ ​UCSF​ ​Foundation Department​ ​of​ ​Neurological​ ​Surgery.