Linda S. Mitteness PhD

1950 - 2022

Linda S. Mitteness
July 21, 1950 - November 19, 2022
Linda Susan Mitteness, PhD, passed away on November 19, 2022, after collapsing at the University of California San Francisco Parnassus campus where she was attending a meeting.
Linda was an Emeritus Professor at UCSF after her many years as a valued faculty member. For ten years she directed the post-doctoral program in the Medical Anthropology Program, six of those years while also serving as the Program Chair. She represented her department and social sciences on several Chancellor's and UC system-wide committees and initiatives. Elected to the Gerontological Society of America, Linda was also one of the founding members of the Social Gerontology group of the American Anthropology Association.
Linda was born July 21, 1950 in Benson, Minnesota. Her educational journey began in a one-room schoolhouse near her family's farm. After transferring to the town schools, she graduated from Benson High as valedictorian. She then attended the University of Minnesota and received a BA in Child Psychology. In 1975, Linda graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a PhD in Human Development and Family Studies.
In 1977 she arrived at UCSF to work as a senior research assistant. After taking a faculty position in the Medical Anthropology Program she began her own research on the management of chronic illnesses among older people. As one of the first social scientists to study this topic, she was regularly consulted by physicians and biomedical researchers, and was invited to speak at National Institute of Aging conferences. At UCSF Linda taught doctoral level courses in statistics and methods in the social sciences, child development and the ethics of scientific research.
She was an active member, leader, and beloved friend for forty years at St. John's United Church of Christ in San Francisco as well as the wider UCC community. Her heart was in outreach to the needy, from the early years of the AIDS crisis to her support this year for those on the streets with substance problems.
Linda was an avid gardener and volunteered at the San Francisco Botanical Garden library for 15 years. She welcomed visitors with kindness, listened to their questions, and thoughtfully and expertly helped find answers. She was generous with her time, expertise, and financial support.
She is survived by her wife of 40 years, Judith C. Barker, PhD, her mother, Marjorie Mittteness, brothers Gary and Bradley, aunts Nancy Vollmer, Donna Mae Preece and Lois Mitteness, beloved nieces and nephews, and multiple cousins.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Linda Mitteness Memorial Fund at St. John's UCC. For more information about Linda, the Fund and the celebration of her life in January, see sfstjohnsucc.org or www.duggansserra.com