Born and raised in Northwestern Pennsylvania, Linda attended Cochranton, High School where she made life long friends. She met her husband, James R. Reid in 1955 and they married and had 4 children. While family was their main focus in life, together they were active in the community and gave their endless energies to the Cochranton High School Band and its many concerts, parades and trips, PTA, boy scouts, girl scouts, 11 foster children and various organizations and work places.

While raising her children, Linda went to college “late” being one of the first recipients of the Allegheny College Continuing Education Scholarship for Community Women and she later graduated from Edinboro University with her BA and Masters in counseling. Following her schooling, she lived in Zibo, China teaching English at the Zibo Teachers College. Upon her return to Pennsylvania, she was employed at Women's Services and the Center for Families in Change in Meadville. She then went to work in the Allegheny Counseling Center as a counselor for several years.

She moved to Alexandria Virginia in 1997 where she worked as a docent at Mt. Vernon while she was serving as nanny to her new grand-daughter. Three years later, she moved to Southern Maryland where she worked for the Calvert Memorial Hospital as a counselor before retiring. In Southern Maryland she made many new friends some of whom remained friends throughout the remainder of her time in Maryland. She also enjoyed sailing with friends, tap dancing and kayaking.