Linda E. MCCarthy was a wonderful wife, a great mom and an even better grandmother died at home today, Friday, February 26, 2010 in the company of family. She died following a valiant 8 month battle with pancreatic cancer that simply proved to be too much for her. In the end, she was concerned more with the demands her illness placed on her family than with her own life.

    Linda was born in Worcester, the daughter of Donald and Beatrice (Young) Fournier (both deceased). She attended Worcester Public Schools, graduating from Commerce High School in 1967. She then worked several years for Moore Business Forms followed by many years of employment with the Worcester School Department working for the last 14 years of her career in the main office of Burncoat High School. Happily, she retired slightly over 4 years ago so she could spend time with her grandchildren and she enjoyed every moment she spent with them.

    Linda will be so greatly missed by her husband Brian, after a marriage spanning 39 glorious years; her daughter, Lori Rauktis and her husband Kenneth; her daughter, Erin Smith and her husband Donald; and her three very special grandchildren whom she loved with all her heart, Brian and Dylan Rauktis and Teagan Smith. Sadly, she did not get to meet her 4th grandchild due in August to daughter Erin and Donald Smith. Her only sibling, her brother Raymond lives with his wife Dee in Oxford. Linda had a large family with many close aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces.

    Linda was a life-long member of the Adams Square Congregational Church. Besides her husband and children, her greatest love was for her grandchildren, a boundless love for the three of them, followed by her love for a now departed dog who answered to the name of Woogie. She loved to dance and she spent many evenings with her husband dancing at Maxwell Silverman's where she had many friends. Always looking radiantly beautiful, she was a very good dancer and a classy dresser. She looked great on the dance floor.

    Calling hours will be Sunday, February 28 from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. at the Nordgren Memorial Chapel, 300 Lincoln Street, Worcester, MA. Funeral Services will be at 11:00 A.M. Monday, March 1 at Adam Square Congregational Church, 26 Burncoat St., Worcester, MA. Burial will be private at a date to be determined by the family.

    A heartfelt thanks goes to the staff at The Levine Cancer Center on 33 Kendall Street, here in the city, for all their wonderful care and support during Linda's illness.

    In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Linda's memory to UMass Memorial Foundation/Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, 333 South Street, Shrewsbury, MA 01545 or to a charity of your choice.