Linda Louise Kirshbaum, age 65, a resident of Wheaton for 19 years, died on Monday, August 21, at Central Du Page Hospital in Winfield. She was born July 20, 1941 in San Diego, CA.

Linda graduated from Canoga Park High School in Canoga Park, California in 1959. She later enrolled in Phoenix College and completed art courses at Kenosha Public Museum in Wisconsin and Du Page Art League in Wheaton. Her fluency in Spanish was enabled thru study in secondary school and living in northern Spain for several years.

In addition to her role as a homemaker, her outside employment as an executive assistant spanned several decades. Upon graduating from high school, she went to work for T.R.W., Inc. in El Segundo, California where she had Air Force secret clearance. She worked as a medical secretary for Drs. Powers and Wolters in Estherville, Iowa. Returning to southern California, she worked for T.R.W.'s Microwave Division in Canoga Park, California. She also was an executive secretary for Mang Company General Insurance Agency in Phoenix, Arizona, Marathon Equipment Company in Leeds, Alabama, R. R. Street & Company in Oak Brook, Illinois, and for Whittaker Metals in Broadview, Illinois.

She was a past member of National Secretaries Association, Elmhurst Artists' Guild where she was Secretary, and the Du Page Art League.

Interests included Haiku poetry, historic and nature conservation, music and art (acrylic painting, needlepoint and cross stitch). She also enjoyed travel, reading novels and working crossword puzzles.

Linda is survived by her husband of 30 years, Jon; son, Gary (Christine) Douglass of Elmhurst and their daughters, Erin, Kelsey and Abigail; son, Grant Douglass of Westchester; one sister, Sharon (Paul) Breniman of Raleigh, NC; three brothers, Mike (Debbie) Carl of Topeka, KS, David (Patti) Carl of Divide, CO, and Paul (Annette) Carl of Woodland Hills, Ca; one paternal aunt, Lena (Robert) Zook of Raytown, MO. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Neal and Dorothy Carl, Jr. of Woodland Hills, CA; three maternal aunts, Marjorie Springsteen of Wichita, KS, Eva Pettibon of Nevada, MO and Olive Moss of Euless, TX; one maternal uncle, Carl Day Johnson of Kelowna, B.C. Canada.

No services are planned at this time, but a celebration of her life will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in her name would be appreciated to either Du Page Art League, 218 West Front Street, Wheaton, IL 60187 or to The New Dungeness Light Station Association, P.O. Box 1283, Sequim, WA 98382.