Linda Jean McCoy

1947 - 2025

Linda Jean McCoy
07/08/1947 - 10/22/2025
Linda Jean McCoy, 78, of Berkeley, California, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.
Linda was born in July of 1947 near Honolulu, Hawaii to Mary Jean and James Luther Mullen. She grew up with her younger brothers, James and Thomas. As her father was a naval officer and aviator during World War II and continued in the military thereafter, the family moved frequently, living in Coronado, California and Norfolk, Virginia before finally settling down in Santa Ana, California. Linda was precocious and excelled in anything academic. To the consternation (and later, amusement) of her younger brothers, as they followed her in school, teachers gushed that they had great expectations of Linda's brothers, leaving the boys with ample opportunities to disappoint.
Despite her mother's fear about limited opportunities for women, Linda was determined to attend a university and to see the world. Her father was her great supporter, so when she made it clear that she wanted to join a group of high-school students on a tour of Europe, he found a way to make it happen. With her first bite of baguette in Paris, she was hooked. Her trip fueled her lifelong love of Europe, classical music and Western civilization.
After spending two years at UC Irvine, she boarded the creaking student ship MS Aurelia to spend 9 days tentatively crossing the Atlantic ahead of a junior year of study in Gottingen, Germany as part of the UC Study Abroad Program. Her plans to completely immerse herself in German culture were jolted a bit when she met Michel, her future husband, on the first day of the voyage. He was smitten, but if she was too, she didn't show it. They, along with fellow shipmates (and soon to become life-long friends), Marsha and Lowell Williams, spent a special year traveling around Europe crammed into Lowell's VW bug. Occasionally, they studied. Less than ardent effort in that sphere did not seem to affect Linda's grade point average.
Upon the conclusion of the program, Linda transferred to UC Berkeley to be with Michel and finish her degree in German. Though she had intended to continue to a master's degree, her practical side got the better of her, so she pursued her MBA at Berkeley. She then followed up with a few exciting years at Rosenberg Capital Management. Linda subsequently decided to focus her energy on securing a CPA as she viewed accounting as an always-in-demand skill. During this period, she worked for a variety of firms, including Arthur Anderson, Bank of America and Bank of California, focusing on finance.
With the birth of her first daughter, Linda decided to leave the full-time workforce as there was limited tolerance in the 70's to accommodate the needs of new mothers in demanding jobs. As a mother, she ensured that the girls were exposed to the things that she valued, European languages (Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley), and classical music (The Crowden). Later, she managed the care of three in-laws allowing them many years to age in their homes.
She was a devoted member of the Berkeley Piano Club, P.E.O (a sistership focused on the advancement of women's education) and an informal Ikebana club. In addition, Linda kept sharp working as an arbiter for FINRA and chaired many cases, characteristically keeping meticulous notes.
In 2019, Linda faced (and miraculously overcame) stage 3 pancreatic cancer. As she was recovering, she was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, (PSP), which took her body bit by bit. She fought heroically, never giving up hope for a cure. Her last year was spent receiving the kindest care at The Carnelian in Walnut Creek.
She was an unselfish listener and a wise advisor. While naturally beautiful, she was consistently modest and unassuming, understanding instinctively that less is more. While working at the mirror in her early fifties, she offered to her husband, "It takes a little more time now for me to look the same". This was all she ever voiced about the trials of aging.
Being an animal lover, she had a special fondness for stray cats (which then dutifully moved in) and backyard chickens. She was a stoic by nature and a serene warrior to her last day. Linda was the compass of her family, which is now lost at sea.
Linda is survived by her husband, Michel, her brothers, James and Thomas and her daughters, Catherine and Alexandra, her niece, Patricia, her nephew, James, and her grandchildren, Ryan, (7) Genevieve (4) and Theodore (4 months).
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on November 22, 2025 at St. Joseph Cemetery & Funeral Center, which is located at 2540 Church Ln., San Pablo, CA 94806. Reception to immediately follow. Subsequent committal service is for immediate family only. In lieu of flowers, to honor Linda's unending hope for a cure, the family requests donations be made to cure PSP (https://www.psp.org/ways-to-give). If you knew Linda and would like to attend, please call Frank McCoy, Linda's brother-in-law, for additional details at 404-520-7177.