Linda Sue Parks, 72, of Cold Spring, died Aug. 31.
She was born in Catskill on Sept. 27, 1951, and graduated from Catskill High School in 1969. She later earned a degree from Green Mountain College, where she majored in fashion and retail marketing.
Linda was a ski instructor at Hunter Mountain during her final year in college, but as the ski season ended, she loaded up her Firebird, drove west and stopped at the first major ski resort she found, Vail Mountain. She walked into the Ski School director’s office, handed him a letter of recommendation from Hunter Ski School that she had just written in the parking lot and was hired on the spot.
She later moved out to California, where she worked at the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and a circus. She trained and performed with elephants, cougars, tigers, sea lions, killer whales and dolphins.
California is where she discovered her love of flying. She was hired in 1986 by American Air Lines and flew until 2016, retiring as a captain on the Boeing 757 and 767.
Bored with retirement, Linda bought and learned to ride a Harley Davidson so she could ride with her husband and son.
She is survived by her husband, Kevin Walsh, her son, Parker Walsh and her mother, Barbara Parks. A memorial service was held on Sept. 10 at Millspaugh Camerato Funeral Home in Catskill, followed by interment at the Town of Catskill Cemetery.
Information provided by Millspaugh Camerato Funeral Home
