Linda Baroody Setliff

Linda Baroody Setliff, 103, passed away at her home in Peterborough, New Hampshire, on Saturday, January 4, 2025.

Everyone she met, even for the briefest time, loved Linda. Her inner beauty and warm, caring nature drew others to her. She loved to dance and often participated in USO dance events for the WWII servicemen. She also loved to sing and sang alto in numerous church choirs throughout her life. She brought a love for music and a playful sense of humor to the lives of her family and friends. Central to Linda’s life was her faith in Jesus Christ.

Linda was born in Danville, Virginia on November 27, 1921, the only child of Kaleel and Beulah (Ragsdale) Baroody. After graduating from Averett College in Danville, she worked as a secretary. In 1945, Linda married high school sweetheart Jack W. Setliff, returning Army Air Corps pilot and POW, and they embarked on a fifty-one-year adventure. Their adventure began at UNC-Chapel Hill where they both attended classes. They met life-long friends – four couples who called themselves the ”Cacknackies” - with whom they had an enduring connection. With their children, they lived in Germany, Thailand, Maryland, Kansas, Georgia and Ohio as a military family.

In 1970 Jack retired from the Air Force and the family moved to Cary, North Carolina. Linda quickly immersed herself in the local scene. She became president of the Cary Woman’s Club, attended Town Council meetings, and helped create Cary Greenways, serving as the first Greenway Commission Chairwoman. She also worked for many years on scholarships and literary awards for the Cary Woman’s Club. Bridge club and the friends she made there were a big part of her life.

After Jack’s death in 1996 Linda remained in Cary until 2010, when she moved to an apartment built onto her daughter Beth’s and her husband Michael’s house in Peterborough. She continued her lifelong interest in the people and places around her and made many friends in Peterborough. She also spent much time with her son Jay and his wife Margaret in Portland, Maine, where she spent many hours on their breezy deck, reading and making art.

Surviving her are her three children: Sue Redus of Cary, NC; Beth Wollett and her husband Michael of Peterborough; and Jay Setliff of Portland, ME. She is also survived by three grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

In Linda’s memory, donations may be made to Hospice at HCS (HCSservices.org) or to any animal charity.