Linda S. Wiegman, of Austin Texas, passed away peacefully on August 29, 2025, from causes related to Parkinson's disease. She was 70 years old.
Linda was born on Thanksgiving Day in 1954, in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, to US Army 1st Lt. Donald Wiegman and his wife Dorothy. During her father's 20-year career as an Army officer, Linda's family lived in Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Texas; as well as Karlsruhe and Heidelberg, Germany. Frequent family road trips instilled in Linda a lifelong love of travel.
Linda was a beloved daughter, sister, and aunt. She was a loyal friend to many and a work colleague of great integrity. Linda had many travel companions and enjoyed trips to numerous state and national parks (Yellowstone was her favorite); wine-tasting ventures to Spain and Argentina; solo travel to China, Australia, and Thailand; travel with her nieces to Disneyworld, Italy, Austria, and the Czech Republic; and travel with like-minded fans of Turner Classic Movies.
Linda graduated from San Antonio's Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1972. She attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, earning a Bachelor of Science in Education/Mathematics (Cum Laude), in just three years. After a brief teaching stint in Houston, Linda decided to attend law school. Accepted by every law school to which she applied, Linda sold her car, took out loans, and rode only a bicycle while attending her selected law school-The University of Texas School of Law. She graduated with a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in May 1981.
Linda first went to work as an Assistant City Attorney, before leaving the city to join Armbrust and Brown. In 1988, Linda joined the Office of General Counsel at the Texas Department of Public Health as an attorney for health facilities and professional licensing programs. In 1996, as Deputy General Counsel at the Texas Department of State Health Services, she managed legal services on important public health-related issues such as disaster preparedness, open records, mental health, family and community services, and legislative activities. Linda served on the Austin Chamber of Commerce's City Regulatory and Planning Committee, was a past President of Woman and their Work, served on the Travis Appraisal Review Board for six years, and participated in Big Brothers – Big Sisters of Austin. She was a member of the State Bar of Texas and was board-certified in Administrative Law.
Retired from the State of Texas for the last 15 years, Linda volunteered regularly at Mike's Place (respite care for dementia caregivers) until its closure due to COVID. She ushered frequently at the Paramount Theatre, enjoying the concerts and movie showings there. Linda continued participation in her other hobbies – photography, mystery novels, traveling, a good game of Scrabble, breakfasts with law school friends, and many a Wednesday happy hour. She was a 30-year resident of the Rosedale neighborhood in Austin.
Linda was preceded in death by her father, Lt. Col. Donald J. Wiegman, and her brother-in-law, Jim Bob Helduser. She is survived by her mother, Dorothy Wiegman of San Antonio; her sister, Janet Helduser of New Braunfels; two nieces, Kylene King (Barrett) of San Antonio and Jenna Walling (Justin) of Austin; and three great-nephews.
Linda had an amazing network of faithful friends who supported her during her three-year illness, and for that, her family is extremely grateful. In addition, the family wishes to acknowledge, with much appreciation, caregivers Adia Atwater and CG Alaniz, and to thank the staff of The Village/The Parc at The Triangle (Austin), Grand Brook Memory Care (New Braunfels), and Heart of Texas Hospice.
A celebration of Linda's life will be held on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. at Weed Corley Fish Funeral Home, 5416 Parkcrest Drive, Austin, followed by a nearby memory-filled happy hour. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Paramount Theatre Endowment Fund or the National Parks Conservation Association. You are invited to add a memory to Linda's tribute wall at:
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/austin-tx/linda-wiegman-12509396.
Published by Austin American-Statesman from Sep. 4 to Sep. 7, 2025.