Linda Kay Monroe Whelan

Linda Kay Monroe Whelan was born in Fresno, CA on May 11, 1947. She is the youngest of two daughters born to parents, Clyde and Mildred Monroe. Clyde a home builder and Mildred a real estate agent relocated their family to Riverside, CA shortly after Linda was born. Linda grew up on Emerson Street in a home built by her father within the “Monroe Manor” Subdivision named after their family in the Magnolia Center neighborhood. Clyde honored his daughters, Linda and Bette when he built the homes on Belinda Drive by naming the street after his daughters – combining their first-names to form “Belinda” Drive. Linda attended Magnolia Elementary School, Sierra Middle School and Ramona High School (class of 1965) where she was Senior Class Vice President. She also won the Senior Class superlative award for “Most Friendly,” was a Varsity Cheerleader, an avid tennis player and was a member of Young Life.

After graduating from Ramona High she attended Riverside Community College for a year before transferring to Murray State University in Kentucky, double-majoring in English and History with a Minor in Spanish (class of 1969).

While at Murray State, Linda met her future husband Jerry Whelan in a lecture hall. Jerry was sitting in front of Linda and turned around to ask her if he could borrow a pen. Linda handed him a pen that was inscribed with, Whelan Escrow, Riverside, CA. Linda’s mother, Mildred, would use Whelan Escrow for her real estate transactions. Jerry noticed the coincidence and the rest was history.

Linda and Jerry married on June 6, 1969 after they graduated from Murray State and settled in Cape May, NJ to be closer to Jerry’s family who lived in Philadelphia. They had two sons (Colin and Kenneth) and Linda began the first four years of her career in education as an English teacher at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, NJ. In 1976 Linda returned to her hometown of Riverside to raise her two sons. As a single mother, Linda adored her sons and all of their wonderful friends. Linda loved that her home was a gathering place for all their friends, where she enjoyed cooking her famous Mexican food & homemade lasagna and she also kept her cupboard stocked with their favorite breakfast cereals. Linda always made sure that everyone felt welcomed entering her home and left with a joy-filled heart and full stomach. Always loving, loyal, and supportive, Linda was there for her sons, her friends and her colleagues and she was considered a “second Mom” by many of her sons’ friends. Linda was always willing to give everyone guidance and valuable insight through inspiring quotes, with some of her sons’ favorites including: “Three left turns and you’ve made a right”, “You must be present to win”, “Life is not a dress rehearsal”, “Listen to the voice” and “What people think of you is none of your business.”

Even as a single mother, Linda never missed any of her sons’ soccer and basketball games. She loved being the volunteer AYSO “team mother” and always made sure that her sons’ soccer teams had an awesome team banner to proudly display along the sidelines during games, and a pizza party at the end of every season. She was also a proud member of the booster club at Poly High School to support the basketball program.

An amazingly gifted athlete herself, Linda was always up for a game of tennis, or basketball through a game of “h-o-r-s-e”, or to kick around the soccer ball with her sons. A running and outdoor enthusiast, Linda participated in the AIDS Walk and multiple Mission Inn Runs, Lynn Cohen Foundation Kickin’ Cancer 5K’s and Relay For Life events. An early riser, she loved to wake up early to run along the Gage Canal or to hike Mount Rubidoux to watch the sunrise over Riverside. Also a strong swimmer, Linda once saved a man from drowning in the ocean waters off of Brigantine Beach on the Jersey Shore.

She lived a life in selfless service and loved hosting her annual “Holiday Adopt a Family” party at her home every December to anonymously help families in her school district and within the community celebrate Christmas, by receiving donations of clothing, food and gifts during the holidays. A tradition that her sons and their friends continue to carry on to this day in honor of Linda. She also loved to buy her Christmas tree from Teen Challenge to support their mission. Linda supported many causes including the Life Rolls On foundation by attending their Night by the Ocean Gala and by volunteering at their fundraising booth during the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach. She was a proud member of First Congregational Church in Riverside and an avid volunteer for their Project Food program and annual Thanksgiving & Christmas feeding events.

Linda was an educator in Alvord Unified School District and first began working in the district as an English teacher in 1986 at La Sierra High School and then transitioned to Norte Vista High School in 1988 to continue teaching English.

While at Norte Vista, she was a Mentor teacher and also started the “Together We Are Stronger” Program (“Juntos Mas Fuertes”) that targeted kids who were at risk or for whom English was not their first language, helping them prepare for college including everything from enrolling in the right classes to assisting with the application process.

Throughout her career she always encouraged her students, who she lovingly referred to as “her kids”, to believe in themselves and encouraged them to visualize and achieve their future goals. In 1991 Linda won the Walmart Teacher of the Year award for Alvord Unified School District.

Always one to take her own advice, Linda continued pursuing her own educational goals by earning her Masters Degree in Education from Azusa Pacific University in 1991. After teaching for a few more years, Linda became a Guidance and College Admissions Counselor and was so proud to help students accomplish their goals of being accepted to prestigious universities including UC Berkeley and UCLA. At La Sierra High, Linda was instrumental in establishing their “College Culture” by starting the practice of students and faculty wearing their college shirts & proudly flying their college flags every Thursday; this practice still continues throughout the campus today. Linda also worked as a summer Guidance Counselor at RCC helping students navigate their system so that they could successfully transfer to a university.

A trailblazer, she created “LCK Hawk” a College University Tour program that she designed for high school students to learn about and experience college life, by touring various college campuses throughout California. Linda secured Corporate Sponsors to fund the costs of the tours so that any interested student could participate regardless of socioeconomic status.

After nearly 27 years in education, Linda retired and spent the beginning of her retirement doing volunteer work in the community, taking golf lessons and enjoying her vacation home in Rancho Mirage. Linda always loved helping students and seeing their achievements and she would volunteer her time helping students in her neighborhood complete their college admissions applications.

Linda loved taking family vacations to Hawaii, Laguna Beach and Palm Springs. And she appreciated the history of the City of Riverside and was a volunteer Docent with the Mission Inn Foundation. An animal lover, Linda loved dogs and hummingbirds and proudly displayed her Saint Frances of Assisi statue at her home. She loved to read and some of her favorite books included, Flowers for Algernon, Angela’s Ashes, The Four Agreements, The Giving Tree, Of Mice and Men and Who Moved My Cheese, which she designed a curriculum around. A lover of movies and the theater some of her favorite movies included The Godfather, On Golden Pond, and Something’s Gotta Give and some of her favorite theater going experiences included Wicked and the Pageant of the Masters and of course, she loved watching the Academy Awards. Linda loved music and attending concerts and she owns an amazing collection of vinyl records with iconic albums from The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Carpenters, Barry Manalow, Johnny Mathis, Dionne Warwick, Barbra Streisand and The Eagles.

In 2010 at the age of 63 Linda was struck with early onset frontotemporal dementia and did her very best to battle through the disease while continuing to try and live a high functioning and independent life.

As the dementia progressed and her ability to speak and walk began to decline, Linda still had the strength and ability to inspire and uplift everyone in her life and everyone on her path with her smile and through the sparkle in her eyes. She would often take your hand, give you a kiss on the cheek, and do her very best to continue to speak kind and loving words of inspiration & encouragement in the form of shortened phrases by saying, “Good move” and “Good here.” And while grocery shopping she would always brighten the day of all the checkout clerks by smiling and telling them, “Your hair is beautiful.” Linda also did her very best to continue the ability of the written word and for as long as she could, she would proudly write caring birthday and holiday notes to her sons and to her loved ones. People always said that Linda has the most beautiful handwriting.

Linda loved the ocean and being in nature and she lived out the remaining beautiful years of her life in Newport Beach, alongside her loving and dedicated “third son” and caregiver, Ulysses. Together they would enjoy walks in their community to Castaways Park and to Galaxy Park and they could often be spotted on their daily outings to Westcliff Plaza enjoying a lunchtime pizza while greeting all their neighbors. Linda always loved seeing her neighbors and petting their dogs.

With her beloved sons by her side and each holding her hand, Linda went home to God and the Universe peacefully on Mother’s Day (May 14, 2023) at 11:11 am at her home in Newport Beach. Her family is grateful to have celebrated Linda’s 76th Birthday with her on May 11, just a few days prior to her going home.

The legacy of Linda Kay Monroe Whelan lives on through her pride and joy in her sons Colin and Ken and in Ken’s wife Andrea, in Linda’s sister Bette Monroe Timson Endresen, in her nephew Phil Timson, in two women who were just like sisters to her, Linda’s cousin Sheryl Smith and her childhood best friend, Norette Goodgame Gilbert, in all of Linda’s nieces & nephews and family in Philadelphia, in Linda’s “third son” (Caregiver) Ulysses, in all of her friends, in all of “her kids” (former students) and in “all her boys” (the friends of her sons).

A memorial service to honor Linda Kay Monroe Whelan will be held on Friday, June 9th at 11:00 am at First Congregational Church in Riverside with a Celebration of Life Reception immediately following at Canyon Crest Country Club.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Linda Kay Monroe Whelan Memorial Scholarship Fund: https://bold.org/funds/linda-kay-monroe-whelan-memorial-scholarship-fund/

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AchesonandGraham.com for the Whelan family.