[Oe List ...] In Loving Memory of Linda Alton

[Susan Fertig]

Oh, my—news I wasn’t expecting and wouldn’t have wanted, but with which I rejoice with you, Dick, in celebrating Linda’s life.

She was always such an inspiration to me when I was working in Croatia and Bosnia. I remember very fondly when she came to help us with a 50-person facilitation training (and our skinny dipping at midnight in the hotel pool!). She was always ready to try anything and she always had such wise counsel for us. Likewise, when I (frequently) drove to Belgium and participated in your training sessions there and other meetings, I always looked to Linda for sage analysis of whatever situation presented. I hadn’t seen her in years, but I’ll miss her!

Susan

Susan Fertig-Dykes

And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought .  Isaiah 58:11

From: OE <oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net> On Behalf Of Richard Alton via OE
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Cc: Richard Alton <richard.alton at gmail.com>
Subject: [Oe List ...] In Loving Memory of Linda Alton


In Loving Memory of Linda Alton

Linda Alton’s life was one of courage, conviction, and compassionate service. From her early days at the University of California, Berkeley—where she earned both her B.A. and M.A. between 1963 and 1970—Linda was a powerful force for change. As editor of the Berkeley Yearbook and an active voice in the Free Speech Movement and the anti-Vietnam War resistance, she stood firmly for justice and truth, even when it wasn’t easy.

While still a student, Linda journeyed to Harlem to work in storefront schools, helping high school students who had dropped out find their way back to education and hope. It was there she encountered the Ecumenical Institute, whose mission of global community service would soon become her own. In 1970, she joined the Institute’s staff in San Francisco, beginning a lifelong commitment to international development and human dignity.

In 1976, with her young daughter Christina by her side, Linda moved to the Philippines to co-direct a USAID-funded community development project with the newly formed Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA). There, she led efforts to support women’s small businesses, empowering families and transforming communities from the ground up.

Her journey continued to Kenya, where Linda and her growing family—including her second daughter, Kay, born in Nairobi—devoted themselves to uplifting lives in both urban slums and rural villages. Together with a local staff of 150, she helped shape development initiatives that reached thousands of communities across the country.

Later, in Brussels, Belgium, Linda served as Program Director at ICA’s global headquarters, bringing her deep wisdom, compassion, and leadership to an international stage.

She moved to Minnesota with her partner Lynne Larsen to create a home for themselves in Minneapolis. She was a lead technical trainer/convenor with Minnesota Technology of Participation up until she retired.

Linda’s legacy is not just found in the places she lived or the programs she led—but in the countless lives she touched, the justice she stood for, and the love she gave so freely. Her spirit lives on in the communities she served and in the hearts of all who knew and loved her. (Daughters: Christina & Katherine Alton, Grandson: Wyatt Wren, Wife: Lynne Larsen)


--
Richard H. T. Alton
ICA Global Fund
United Methodist Net Zero
T: 773.344.7172
richard.alton at gmail.com<mailto:richard.alton at gmail.com>
Make Plain the Vision, Habakkuh 2:2
Won't you be my neighbor?
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