Linda Diane Sundell

Linda Diane Sundell, 82, of Orange, CT

July 25, 1942-January 12, 2025

Mother to Peter (Marcia) Scotch of Wallingford, CT; David (Beth) Scotch of Vass, NC; Rebekah (Gaylon Stanley) Scotch of Westfield, MA; Sarah (Paul) Beckwith of Orange, CT; and Rachel (Josh Rohrbach) Scotch of Hamden, CT. "Grandmaw" to Matthew Scotch, Ce Scotch, Bethany Patrick, DJ Scotch, Aaron Scotch, and Cameron Stanley; and Great Grandmother to Cora Patrick and Theo Scotch.

A longtime resident of Milford, CT, before moving to Orange in 2024, Linda was born in Queens, NY, to Carl and Mildred (Schuman) Sundell. Her family later moved to Stamford, where she attended and graduated from Stamford High School, class of 1959. Linda would eventually go to Housatonic Community College where she received an AS in General Studies in 1977. She furthered her academic career at the University of Bridgeport, obtaining a BA in Philosophy, and then earning a Juris Doctorate from UConn Law School. She was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1983, though she was never a lawyer "in the pejorative sense of the word." As Director of Student Affairs for the Board of Trustees of Regional Community Colleges, Linda was a tireless advocate for the Community Colleges of CT and their students. She knew firsthand of the opportunities afforded to non-traditional students by those institutions, initially enrolling in community college classes at Milford High School when she was a 32 year old mother of five. After taking early retirement in 1997, Linda continued to serve the community by recording books on tape for the public library, and reading mail and legal documents for a visually impaired attorney, as well as volunteering at pledge drives for local NPR and public television stations.

Linda's interests varied over her eight plus decades, but she had an enduring love of the written word and continued to be great friends with her Housatonic Community College English professor and his wife (Cliff and Linda Roti), as well as fellow members of the Housatonic Literary Club, for nearly 50 years. Linda was at times a devotee of ballroom dance, bridge, the NYT crossword puzzle, New Yorker cartoons, fitness at the local pool, and mystery novels. She also loved to show off her expansive knowledge of trivia, never missing an episode of Jeopardy, and even occasionally joining her daughter's pub trivia team as a fill-in in the early 2000s. Originally a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, she turned to the Mets when they arrived in Queens, and rooted for anyone who beat the Yankees. But she reserved her real sports fanaticism for UConn basketball, especially the Huskies Women's team.

Linda was predeceased by her parents and her sister Carole Mancini, formerly of Stamford, CT. She is survived by Carole's children, Douglas Porcheddu and Vanessa Pepper and lifelong family friends Linda Singleton and Laura Howe, in addition to her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and many granddogs, grandcats, and great grandcats, all of whom she was exceedingly (embarrassingly) proud, rarely passing up an opportunity to tell you how wonderful they are. Linda also leaves behind her.beloved and loving partner Lance Earnest of Orange, CT. Her loved ones will miss the annual singing of the Happy Birthday song phone call that each of them received every year without fail, until she went into hospice care in December 2024. A private memorial will be held for family and friends at a later date. If you would like to remember Linda, please make a donation to CPTV https://secure.ctpublic.org/page/58758/donate/1 in her name.