Linda Marsha Derector

In 2023, Linda Derector opened a shop in the Westside Market in Greenville. It sported an eclectic array of fine and costume jewelry, displayed in oak and glass cases. Some of the pieces were expensive and looked it; some were not … and still looked it. If you happened to come by when Linda was in the shop, you were treated to her special sauce: The ability to size you up, dress you up, and help you realize your potential to look your best. No matter how extravagant the piece, she made you feel that it was meant for you.

She believed you didn’t have to wait for a special occasion to wear your finest—today is the occasion, and every day you’re alive is worth celebrating.

The name of the shop was Rare Bird. That was Linda, a rare bird.

Linda Marsha Derector passed away in Greenville on Friday, April 17, 2026 after a nine-month battle with cancer. She was 78. She is survived by her beloved life partner of 33 years, Sonia Valeria Col.

Linda collected people from all walks of life and brought them together. She found kindred spirits in people young and old and everything in between. Just as she surrounded herself with diversity, an array of different descriptors come to mind: Resilient, courageous, determined, pragmatic, trusting, invested, flamboyant, caring, creative, generous, and a humanitarian.

Never seen without makeup, earrings and well-manicured nails, she took great care in putting herself together. And spent her life – whether it was personal shopping, real estate, or boutique eyewear – helping others to do the same.

Born in the Bronx, Linda grew up on Long Island where she attended public high school and community college, earning an associate’s degree. Even in her early childhood, there were hints of what was to come. Her sense of style was part of who she was from the start. As a baby, her grandmother adorned her with earrings in her crib, and years later, in high school, she spent her entire clothing allowance on a little black dress and a pair of gloves — choosing elegance over excess.

Her professional career began in her beloved Manhattan where she was a personal shopper at Bergdorf Goodman for over 10 years. Linda also worked in real estate both in New York and South Carolina but her greatest love of all was fashion.

As the universe would have it, President Bill Clinton indirectly brought Linda and Sonia together when, while working at Bergdorf’s, Linda dressed Sonia for President Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration. They became instant friends and, in time, lifelong companions.

A lover of style and animals, and with a penchant for living fully, Linda went on to live in several different places with her partner Sonia and their rescue dogs including Manhattan, Sag Harbor, Miami Beach, and finally Greenville, reinventing herself at every turn.

Linda saw potential where others overlooked it. In 2005, she acquired the entire inventory of never-before-worn vintage eyewear of over 7,000 pairs of glasses and opened a shop in the Nolita section of SoHo. Designing the shop in her signature red and black, she became eyewear purveyor to New York’s glamorous and elite. A trade journal for the eyewear industry – 20/20 – wrote at the time: “Her uncanny knack of matching people with flattering eyewear has already netted her clients from all over New York, both celebrity and not.” While competitors were going out of business under the weight of the recession, Linda purchased their stock amassing a massive wholesale collection and becoming, according to Time Out New York “a vintage eyewear haven.”

Her success attracted the attention of national publications including The New Yorker and Women’s Wear Daily. One more personal shopping gig rounded out her time in Manhattan, this time one at another luxury department store, Saks Fifth Avenue, where she was a personal shopper and managed a boutique for the Swiss fashion label Akris.

Linda and Sonia moved to Greenville in 2017. Over the next 10 years, Linda became a well-known member of the community, volunteering for many organizations, working toward a more fair and equal society, parity and championing healthcare for women, and helping the disadvantaged in any way she could. An active member of the Greenville County Democratic Party and a board member of Democratic Women of Greenville County, Linda was active with the Jewish Film Festival, the Queer Wellness Center, Moms Demand Action Against Gun Violence, Safe Harbor, Jasmine Road, Meals on Wheels, Second Chance Rescue, and the League of Women Voters.

Whether it was with donations or with her hands-on commitments, she always stepped up for the causes that were important to her. As her partner Sonia says: “If a person was in need, she filled it.” In those groups she found an array of new and interesting people who she continually brought together in social and political activities. Whether a friend or a stranger in need, Linda made a difference in the lives of those around her and in her community. And she did it always with panache, style, humor and care.

Linda was a rare bird.