Linda McCluney Anglin

Linda McCluney Anglin passed away peacefully Wednesday, March 6, at the age of 89. She is survived by her husband, Joe V. Anglin, Sr., sons Van (Tonda), Dent (Pam), and George, daughter, Cheri Anglin, six grandchildren which include Ellen Anglin, Joe Van Anglin III, Michelle Taylor (Boomer), Dylan Anglin, Karley Ditto (Chandler), Adriane Anglin, and eight great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her granddaughter, Emily Kate Anglin.

In lieu of flowers, a gift can be made in her honor to Millsaps College at 1701 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39210 (attn Nola Gibson).

Linda was born April 20, 1929, to Denton and Louise Davis McCluney. She grew up in Houston, MS, where she became active in the community. She graduated from Houston High School as valedictorian.

While attending Millsaps College, she was inducted into Sigma Lambda Honor Society, Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, and was named First Alternate in Mississippi for the Fulbright Scholarship for Foreign Study. She served as state president of the Methodist Student Movement (Wesley Foundation), graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Sociology in 1951, and was honored for having the highest four-year average in social sciences.

Linda married Joe Van Anglin in 1952 and began her teaching career of 39 years. She taught at St. Andrews Episcopal School (1952-53), Carthage Elementary (1956-57), McWillie Elementary (1957-80) and 5th and 6th grade at Casey Elementary from 1980 until her retirement in 1994. While serving as a classroom teacher, she was appointed to many district committees and was active in several professional organizations. She helped organize and served as secretary to the State PTA-sponsored Coalition – Mississippians for the Implementation of the Education Reform Act.

In 1970 she earned a Master of Education degree from Mississippi College. While there, she was initiated into Kappa Delta Pi, the honor society for education. In 1974, she earned her Education Specialist degree from Mississippi State University and was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi, which recognizes scholarship in students from all fields. She served on MSU’s College of Education Advisory Board from 1991-1994.

Mrs. Anglin was instrumental in the 1979 founding of Mississippi Professional Educators (MPE), an independent organization for Mississippi educators. She served as the first President of the organization (1979-1982) and actively worked with the Mississippi economic council in gaining approval for the expanded State Board of Education and with Governor William Winter in getting the 1982 Education Reform Act passed. She served as first chairman for the MPE Scholarship in Teacher Education which was later named in her honor. She was also active in other capacities, including serving as Interim Executive Director (1996 and 1998) and holding membership in the National Association of Professional Educators. She was a charter member of Jackson Professional Educators (1980) and served as officer (President, 1988-90) or board member until retirement.

In 1980 Mrs. Anglin became a registered lobbyist for education and children’s issues at the Mississippi Legislature, and she served as a lobbyist for many years. She worked with President Pro Tempore William Alexander of the Mississippi Senate toward passage of a resolution to upgrade teacher education programs in Mississippi and served on the Advisory Committee on Teacher Education Standards for the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning in 1981. During this time, she was also writing and speaking to issues dealing with public education and children’s welfare.

She was an organizing member of the Jackson Area Reading Council and served on the Executive Board in several capacities, including President (1975-76). She was also a member of Mississippi Reading Association and International Reading Association for many years, and in 1987 received a certificate for Outstanding Service to the Jackson Area Reading Council, an organization with which she had worked for over 20 years.

Mrs. Anglin was also a charter member of the Jackson Association for Children with Learning Disabilities, began the Mississippi Association for Children with Learning Disabilities – serving on its Board as Secretary, Historian/Librarian, Director, and Advisory Member – and was a long-standing member of National Learning Disability Association.

While a member of Delta Kappa Gamma International Honor Society for Women, she served as President (1986-88), and Past President of Tau Chapter in Jackson. She was named Woman of Distinction for the Tau Chapter in 1991 and was honored by Beta Chapter in Jackson for “Distinguished Service to Education in Mississippi.” The Tau Chapter in Jackson honored her with its first Red Rose Award.

In 1996, Mrs. Anglin was honored as a Distinguished Teacher at the White House Commission on Presidential scholars after being named by a former fifth grade student who was a Presidential Scholar that year. She was also active in Jackson-Hinds Retired Teachers Association and was a member of Mississippi Retired Teachers Association.

Mrs. Anglin was selected for inclusion in Who’s Who in American Education (1988-89), Who’s Who in the South and Southwest (1992-92), Who’s Who in America, 56th Edition, Who’s Who in the World (1993-94), and several other directories. She was recognized for exceptional teaching ability by having her biography published in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, First Edition, 1990.

In 1998 she was elected to the Board of Directors of First American Bank, the first Caucasian to serve on the minority-owned bank board. She served as the bank’s Adopt-a-School Coordinator and as secretary to the Board of Directors (2000-01).

Mrs. Anglin was an active member of Briarwood United Methodist Church for 59 years. She taught Sunday School, served as youth counselor and MYF Director, was a nursery worker for twelve years, children’s coordinator, and children’s choir director. She organized Boy Scout Troop 315 at Briarwood and served as merit badge counselor in several areas. She also started the library at Briarwood and served as the volunteer librarian.

Services for Mrs. Anglin are being handled by Parkway Funeral Home in Ridgeland. Visitation is Friday, March 8, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 9, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Parkway with a memorial service immediately following.