Linda Kassebaum Johnson

1958 - 2020

Linda Kassebaum Johnson
December 14, 1958 - December 6, 2020
Buena Vista, Colorado - Linda Josephine Kassebaum Johnson, daughter of John Philip Kassebaum and former Kansas Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum, died early on December 6, 2020 from the effects of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy at her home in Buena Vista, Colorado. She was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1958 and grew up in Maize. She was a graduate of Kansas State University (B.S., D.V.M., M.Sc.), and the Johns Hopkins University (postdoc and M.P.H.).
She was always a mother first, but that was closely followed by her life-long passion for veterinary science. After earning her D.V.M., Linda joined the Peace Corps as a veterinarian, and was placed in Togo, West Africa where she met her former husband, Maurice Johnson. Her career spanned the globe, with positions at the Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado; James Cook University in Queensland, Australia; Tri-Institution's Laboratory of Comparative Pathology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering; the Yale University College of Medicine; the Veterinary Laboratories Agency of the UK government in Weybridge, England; Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C.; and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, N.Y. She was a member of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, American Veterinary Medical Association, Kansas Veterinary Medical Association, and the CL Davis/SW Thompson DVM Foundation. Linda also co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed scientific articles, served on the editorial board for several journals, and received the KSU College of Veterinary Medicine Alumni Recognition.
Linda loved spending time with her family, having a host of animals nearby (she was a volunteer at the Denver zoo), rooting for Arsenal F.C., bird watching, traveling, and seeking adventure–like tracking tree kangaroos in the Daintree. She is survived by her three children, Elsa, Margot, and Kristian, her mother, two brothers, John and Bill, and their families, as well as many dear relatives and friends. We will miss her.
Condolences can be sent to lkasjohnson@gmail.com or PO Box 5251, Buena Vista, CO 81211. In lieu of flowers, a memorial for Linda has been established at the Kansas State University Foundation to support veterinary students. Contributions may be sent to: KSU Foundation, 1800 Kimball Ave., Ste 200, Manhattan, KS 66502, please indicate fund M47334. To make a gift online, go to www.ksufoundation.org/give/memorials.