Linda Teresa Jaron, neé Montarone, passed away on July 3, 2024, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the age of 62. Born on November 17, 1961, in Sherman, Texas, Linda possessed a keen intellect and a caring heart. She was an excellent listener and a voracious reader. Linda had an endearing laugh and sense of humor. ‘Unflappable’ is the word she used when asked to describe herself – she was calm, cool, and collected no matter the situation. Even when faced with a difficult cancer diagnosis, Linda handled it with grace, courage, and dignity. She lived life to the fullest.
Linda studied mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder and went to law school at Franklin Pierce Law Center. She absolutely loved her time as a law student, focusing on intellectual property and passing the patent bar exam after her second year. She practiced patent law for seven years in the DC area. Upon moving to Colorado, she redirected her legal career toward family law. Linda found her calling when she worked with children as a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) attorney, representing children in dependency and neglect cases. She served as a GAL for 15 years and was known as a fierce advocate with an excellent reputation among the judiciary. Linda was the best mom, supporting her children throughout their lives and always providing the best advice. She never hesitated to provide motherly support to anyone who needed it.
Linda was a lifelong learner who enjoyed numerous hobbies. She was a lover of music who played bassoon in the Pikes Peak Philharmonic for over 20 years. She also played guitar, took piano lessons, and sang in numerous church choirs throughout her life. Linda grew up sewing her own clothes, including her own wedding dress. During the pandemic she picked up quilting, enjoying the creative outlet it provided. She also loved gifting knitted items to her friends and family. Linda loved to play golf with her loving hubby, Tom. She and Tom enjoyed golfing at courses on Colorado’s western slope, Arizona, Hawaii, and even Houston between appointments at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Linda was a world traveler who also loved simple getaways to the Rocky Mountains. She always discovered the best destinations, restaurants, places to stay, and other unique adventures, such as touring a textile company in Madrid that specialized in repairing historic tapestries and riding e-bikes to the UNESCO Heritage Windmill site in Rotterdam. She was dedicated to learning French, taking classes at UCCS in her late 50s and continued her learning through language apps.
Linda is survived by her loving husband, Tom; her children: Peter, Leah, and Tracey; her four sisters: Donna Montarone, Sharon (Gary) Bookman, Sheila (Paul) Follett, and Laura (Sam) Creech; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Sylvia Montarone.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, July 19, 2024, at Hillside Gardens, 1006 South Institute Street, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903.
In memory of Linda, please make donations to METAvivor, a nonprofit focusing on metastatic breast cancer research, on their website, METAvivor.org.
Nikita Johnson
19 Jul 2024I would like to extend my sincere condolences to Linda’s family. I worked with Linda on cases where she was the GAL. Linda was always a pleasure to work with and problem solve the needs of the youth we served. I could always tell she genuinely cared about each youth. She will be missed.