Linda Guthrie passed away September 14, 2025.

Linda was born in Washington, D.C., to Stanley W. and Dorothy Jean Guthrie. During her early childhood, her parents moved to the Greater Newark area in New Jersey, where they resided happily for the rest of their lives, working industriously, supporting various churches, and raising Linda along with her five siblings: Barbara, June, Stanley Jr., John, and Michael.

Linda graduated from Archbishop Walsh High School, earned a B.A. from Adelphi College in New York, and later received her master’s degree in history from Duke University in North Carolina. During and after her university years, Linda worked in a variety of jobs, including fry cook and baker at a democracy-based vegetarian café and bakery called Somethyme Restaurant in Durham, N.C. She also taught at the University of North Carolina and in local prison schools. Outside of work, she became active in political causes such as Klan watch groups and feminist economic ventures. It was during these years that she developed her lifelong love of group travel.

In the late 70s she and a friend moved to California. Linda began her California teaching career at La Cañada Flintridge Immaculate Heart. In 1980, LAUSD hired her, and she worked for the district ever since. Her first assignment was as an ESL teacher at Virgil Middle School. While at Virgil, she also served one year as field representative for school board member Jackie Goldberg.  It was at Virgil that she met — and later married — Wade Fulbright. Together they have three children: Jacob, Yenny, and Katrina. As her children attended LAUSD schools, Linda felt an even stronger desire to become more involved in improving the public school system. She appealed to her fellow union members, who elected her to two terms as Secondary Vice President of UTLA. This period was marked by contract negotiations, improved language protections, greater involvement in staff development, and safeguards for both teachers and students.

After six years of service to the union, Linda returned to the classroom at King Middle School as it transitioned from a neighborhood school into a magnet program focused on film. Throughout her career, she has been a driving force to educational improvement while continually pushing herself to group through training and in-service programs. She went on to earn a master’s degree and license in Library Science, achieve National Board Certification, and collect numerous certificates from district, state, and union professional development programs.

Her work as a classroom teacher, her grandchildren Allie and Gunnar, her son Jacob and his wife Asley, her daughter Yenny and son-in-law Henry, her daughter Katrina, and her many friends have always been the heart of her life.