Linda Lee Preston

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Linda Ross Preston, age 77, on March 31st, 2025, in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Linda was born on May 12, 1947, and grew up in the Olive Hill community of Kansas. She attended Oak Creek Grade School, a one-room schoolhouse, and later graduated from Burr Oak High School. Linda went on to earn her degree with honors from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, where she developed a lifelong passion for education and service.

Following college, Linda worked in Estes Park at Cheley Colorado Camps and later moved to Lawrence, Kansas, to further her studies in Home Economics. There, she accepted a position teaching at West Junior High School after turning down multiple offers to teach in rural schools. It was in Lawrence that she met her future husband, Bruce Preston, in a Judo class. They would later find out that Linda taught at the same time as Bruce's younger brother which, in her telling, always caused a sly smile when they passed in the hall. They were married on May 30, 1970, at the Olive Hill Church she attended while growing up in Kansas.

The couple began their marriage in Salina, Kansas where Linda worked at the Kansas State extension service as one of the first female 4-H agents in 20 years where she helped put Bruce through college. After Bruce graduated, they moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where they welcomed two sons, Aaron and Alix. The family eventually made their permanent home in Fort Collins, Colorado. Linda served for 25 years as Executive Director of B.A.S.E. (Before and After School Enrichment) Camp, where she helped grow the program from a handful of sites serving about 50 children to one reaching nearly every elementary school in the Poudre School District. At the time of her retirement in June 2014, B.A.S.E. Camp served approximately 4,000 children each year, with as many as 450 enrolled in summer programs. In honor of her commitment and lasting impact, the mayor declared her retirement day "Linda Preston Day" in Fort Collins.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Linda was a passionate and generous member of her community. She held leadership roles at Plymouth Congregational Church, was active in the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and advocated for women's rights by being active in organizations like the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) campaign. A talented seamstress, she lovingly sewed her sons' Halloween costumes – including a memorable (and extremely warm) Ewok costume in the '80s – and even crafted suits for her husband. Linda was also a gifted cook, an avid reader who participated in multiple book clubs, and a devoted traveler who loved experiencing fall foliage, museums, and cultural history with Bruce across the United States.

She is survived by her beloved husband of nearly 55 years, Bruce Preston; sons Aaron Preston and Alix Preston (wife Noelle); sister Ruth Hale; brothers-in-law Donald Preston, Stephen Preston, and Harold Preston; and many loving aunts, nieces, nephews, and extended family members. She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Dee Ross; her in-laws, June and Floyd Preston; and her brother-in-law, Larry Hale.

A memorial service celebrating Linda's life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on April 29, 2025, at Plymouth Congregational Church in Fort Collins.

In lieu of flowers please direct donations to AAUW ( https://my.aauw.org/donation-product-detail ) or League of Women Voters ( https://www.lwv.org/give ).