Linda McAdams Stratton

Linda McAdams Stratton, 88, passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 19, 2024, at her home in Flagstaff, Arizona. She was a wise, kind, and loving mother, grandmother, and friend, as well as a progressive woman with a lifelong passion for the arts, literature, politics, and spiritual exploration. Her family will forever cherish her deep insight, sage guidance, and wonderful sense of humor.

Linda, the daughter of Mary Elizabeth Heiges McAdams and Dr. James Carlin McAdams, was born and raised in Fall River, Massachusetts. She attended Lincoln School in Providence, Rhode Island, where she excelled academically. Following the passing of her father, a physician at the renowned Truesdale Hospital, she postponed her college plans for a time but later earned her degree from Bradford College.

After college, Linda moved to New York City to pursue her passion for theater. She began her career at the St. James Theatre, a place she often returned to and valued throughout her life.

While living in New York, Linda met and fell in love with Mark Hayne Stratton Jr. They were married on September 27, 1958, at Old South Church in Boston, Massachusetts, and later raised four children in Wyckoff, New Jersey. Although Linda spent many years in New Jersey, she instilled in her family a deep, generational love for Westport Harbor-a community where she had summered as a child and which she regarded as one of the most beautiful places on earth. That tradition continues today through her children and grandchildren.

In 1971, Linda and Mark took a leap of faith to pursue their dream of traveling "around the world." With their four young children, they set out on the adventure of a lifetime. Linda chronicled the remarkable journey in a series for the local paper titled "963 Meals Out."

Upon their return, they founded Stratton Travel, Inc., which grew into one of the largest privately held travel agencies in the United States, known by its slogan, "Chances are we've been there." The company's success owed much to Linda's adept management and her gift for retaining talented employees during Stratton Travel's tremendous growth.

During this time, Linda returned to her passion for theater by co-founding Bergenstage Theater with a group of friends who shared her love of the arts. Bergenstage went on to become the first Equity-approved professional theater in Bergen County.

In the 1990s, Linda moved to Sedona, Arizona, where she embraced life in the Southwest and embarked on a new career in healing through bodywork, with a focus on Trager and Jin Shin Jyutsu. She later settled in Flagstaff with her partner, Cathie Wheeler, where she enjoyed the support of a devoted and loving community.

Linda is survived by her four children: Anthony Stratton; Jennifer Stratton (Don Boivin); Carlin Stratton (Colin Sherlow); and Laura Stratton (Linda Shaw); two grandchildren, Bryce Sherlow Gravitt (Grant Gravitt) and Lila Sherlow; her sister-in-law, Carol McAdams; and two nieces, Linda Seekins and Sarah McHughs, along with their families.

She was predeceased by her parents, Mary Elizabeth and Dr. James C. McAdams; her brother, James McAdams; her sister, Susan Watrous; and her former husband and the father of her children, Mark Stratton Jr.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Westport River Watershed Alliance at westportwatershed.org