Elizabeth Mary “Linda” Desmond

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The family of Linda Desmond sadly announces her passing on July 9, 2024, in Palm Springs, California, after a long illness with Parkinson’s Disease.

Linda was born in Portland, Maine, on Feb. 9, 1943, to Murat and Lib Croy. She graduated from Cathedral High School in 1961 and Mercy Hospital School of Nursing as a registered nurse. Linda joined the Nursing Corps of the U.S. Navy in 1965. She served at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia where she met her husband, Terry. They met in December 1967 and were married three months later. After they were released from the Navy, Terry and Linda moved to Bozeman and subsequently to Gallatin Gateway, Montana, where they owned and operated a country store. In 1976, they moved to Scarborough, where they resided for 46 years until they relocated to Palm Springs in 2022.

Linda dedicated her life to the care of others. She was known for her patience, good nature and temperament. She loved spending time with her family above all else and was the force that continued bringing everyone back together as her children grew and moved away. She took pride in her strength and resilience, and her dependable support provided a sense of peace, comfort, and stability in those who were close to her. Though her primary preoccupation was her home and family, Linda also worked as a nursing home nurse in Portland for over 30 years. She loved flowers and gardening, spending time with her grandchildren, knitting, playing Scrabble and doing crossword puzzles, and swimming in her pool and the ocean, especially on trips to Hawaii’s Big Island.

Linda is survived by her husband Terry, and their three children; son David Desmond (Cecile), daughter Julie Desmond (Jacob Lieb), and daughter Nancy Brown (Rob), five grandchildren; Maxine Lieb, Sadie Lieb, Liligrace Desmond, Russell Desmond, and Owen Brown; sisters Marilyn Gegenwarth (Richard) and Barbara Scully (Brian), and two nephews.

The family would like to express deepest gratitude to Eloisa, Anisa, Ana and Marie, who cared for her lovingly during her last months.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church in Scarborough on Thursday, August 29, at 11 a.m, with burial thereafter at Calvary Cemetery in South Portland.