Linda L. Bolton

Linda May Laird Bolton transitioned this life April 2, 2022 at OF Heart of Mary Hospital in Urbana, Illinois. Linda was born May 2, 1948 at Lakeview Hospital in Danville, the daughter of WWII veterans Robert Allen Laird (Army) and Maxine Marie Jamison (Navy).

Linda attended Danville schools but struggled most of her time in school with severe panic attacks. She missed a lot of school and was home schooled for one year before going to the one room First Baptist Christian Day School. She then went on to North Ridge and Danville High School, graduating in 1967. She earned an Associate's Degree from then Danville Junior College in 1969, before transferring to the University of Illinois where she attended for two years.

Before heading to the U of I, Linda got a part in a summer youth production of East Lynn at Red Mask Kathryn Randolph Theatre, where she met her future husband, Wilbur Wait Bolton. They were married at St. James United Methodist Church on January 27, 1973, between semesters. They continued at the U of I and lived in Champaign until 1980 when they returned so that Wilbur could take over management of Spritz Jewelers Danville.

Linda went back to school for another degree in computer programming and then took a job writing copy and helping to automate the traffic and billing department of WIAI FM. She was there for twelve years, moving into the news department where she was a reporter, anchor, and then News Director. During that time, she earned an award from the Illinois News Broadcasters for Second Best Downstate News Reporting. Linda was recruited by Public Health Administrator Steve Laker in 1996 to take over Community Health Education to help the public understand the importance of public health issues. While there, she facilitated three IPLANs, the required community health needs assessments health departments are required to do for retention of their licenses. She earned an award from the Illinois Public Health Association for Marketing. Locally, she was named a Woman of Distinction, and stepped in to fill an unexpired term on the Danville City Council. She served on the Council for six years, much of that time Chairing the Public Works Committee for the city. Linda always said her father and grandfather were pipefitters, so she had public works and infrastructure in her blood.

While at the VCHD, Linda finally went back to school to complete the degree she first began in the 70's at the U of I, graduating with a degree in Organizational Leadership from Greenville College. She spent 18 months driving each week to Champaign for classes to earn her degree, and proudly went to the campus in Southern Illinois for the graduation ceremony in 2007.

After fourteen years with the health department, Linda accepted a position as Director of Business Development at Vermilion Advantage, before she retired from fulltime work. Linda was a Certified Public Information Officer, with a specialty in Risk Communications. She was the volunteer Public Information Officer for Vermilion County Emergency Management for sixteen years. She was a past member of Ambucs. She was an active community volunteer, chairing Media/Marketing for Oldsmobile Balloon Classic for most of its fifteen years, and was proudly one of the organizers/Board members of the 2016 of Balloons Over Vermilion. She served as President of the Convention and Visitors' Bureau. Linda was the first female President of the Danville Family YMCA, serving two terms as President. She volunteered for Festival of Trees for many years, including serving as Chair of Marketing/Media. While spending most of her time backstage directing or producing, she was an active Board member of Red Mask, serving on the Board and as President. She did appear in a Christmas production with her husband Wilbur on the Red Mask stage where they met. Linda also had the rare privilege of appearing as Ouiser in the Beef House Dinner Theatre production of Steel Magnolias.

Once she left the news business at WIAl, Linda was recruited by Michael Hulvey at Neuhoff Media to help with news there and then he asked her to take over a morning radio interview show, which she did, hosting Newsmakers 1490 WAN for many years. She won a Silver Dome award in 2016 from the Illinois Broadcasters for her community news program. Linda served on the Presence United Samaritans Medical Center Missions Committee and Community Leadership Board. She was a board member for the Vermilion County Rape Crisis (Survivor Resource) Center and after she retired became an advocate for CASA. Linda served many years on the Danville Police and Fire Commission, taking over as Chair when long time chair Charlie Hall became a judge. She also served the city on its Hispanic/Latino Committee. And she served on the Danville Public Library Board of Trustees, taking over as President of that Board in 2016. She served on the Grants Committee of the Vermilion Area Healthcare Foundation Board of Directors, as well as the Vermilion County Mental Health Initiative and in 2016/17 assisted Vermilion County Board Chairman Mike Marron in facilitating Strategic Planning 2015, setting a vision for the county's future.

Linda was active in her church, St. James United Methodist Church, serving on its Board of Trustees, and chairing that group for two terms, also serving on the Staff/Parish Relations Committee and chairing that, then serving on the Visioning/Building/ and Construction Committees that oversaw renovations at the historic old church. Linda and her husband were members of the Keystone Sunday School group, and she also took on duties as church Archivist, preserving much of the church's history. Wilbur and Linda were part of the original organizers, along with Jim and Joyce Knoblauch of the vintage baseball team, the Vermilion Voles. They were very active with the group until foot and back problems ended Wilbur's ball adventures. Linda and Wilbur were avid collectors of memorabilia from the 1933/34 Chicago World's Fair - the Century of Progress. Linda also collected memorabilia from businesses in the City of Danville and antique Santas. She loved reading - a variety of literature from murder mysteries to biographies. She and her husband were enthusiastic members of a book club that met each month. Linda had a small group of very close friends that she shared lunch and life with, and is grateful for each one of them including Carol Vorel, Jenny Trimmell, Nancy O'Kane, and some special young women she was privileged to mentor over the years, including Dona Chiafreddo, Covington and Alicia Pettigrew, Naperville. She often said that while they never had their own children, she and Wilbur were blessed to share the lives of several children of their friends.

Linda always marveled at being blessed to live a great life with a truly supportive ad understanding husband. She was blessed to have someone who could always make her laugh, never judge, always support, and keep her grounded while never letting her take herself too seriously.

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 7, 2022 at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Danville, Illinois, 3940 N Vermilion St. Danville, Illinois 61834. Officiating will be Pastor Randall Robinson. Visitation will be held the evening prior on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 from 4:00 p.m.to 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Survivor Resource Center, DACC Scholarship fund, or Danville Public Library.

Please join Lindas family in sharing memories, photos, and videos on her tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.

Services Memorial Visitation Wednesday April 6, 2022 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM Sunset Funeral Home & Cremation Center 3940 N Vermilion St. Danville, Il 61834 Memorial Service Thursday April 7, 2022 10:00 AM Sunset Funeral Home & Cremation Center 3940 N Vermilion St. Danville, Il 61834