Linda Koscso Johnson

Dr. Linda Koscso Johnson – beloved daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, non-profit CEO, and valiant warrior – took off on February 22, 2024, for parts unknown in pursuit of her next adventure. Linda had a brilliant mind, a compassionate heart, a laugh that reached out and hugged you, and a voice like warm honey. She also had an enviable head of thick, red hair, and an obsession with HGTV, cheesy true crime specials, and the painter Mark Rothko. Most of all, she enjoyed connecting with people and learning their stories. She had a rare gift for making anyone with whom she conversed feel seen and heard.

A native of Cleveland, she came of age in the 60s and early 70s, and while her contemporaries were swooning over the Beatles and planning their Barbie weddings, Linda decided at the age of 13, inspired by Mother Teresa, that she would dedicate herself to the quest for wisdom and to improving the lives of others. She attended Cleveland’s St. Joseph Academy for Girls, where she was a class officer and honor student, and was further inspired by the Sisters of St. Joseph Congregation whose mission is to support justice and peace initiatives.

Never one for taking the road most traveled, at the age of 18, Linda pulled up stakes in Ohio and decided to attend the University of Dallas, a tiny liberal arts college in Irving, Texas, because she had read a letter authored by the university’s president calling it a “school for leaders” and extolling “the power of humor,” the perfect combination in Linda’s mind. There she majored in art, wore overalls and Birkenstocks, and, without any artifice on her part, had half the men on campus in love with her. Linda went on to earn her MBA from UD and her Ph.D. in Public and Urban Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington where she also served as an adjunct professor and lecturer.

Linda began her career as an account executive for an advertising agency where she met her beloved husband of 37 years, Sam Johnson, a talented graphic artist with a gift for hilarious one-liners and wickedly funny observations, who passed away in 2020.

She went on to hold leadership positions at notable institutions, including the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the Witte Museum in San Antonio, the Connecticut Science Center, The Women’s Museum in Dallas, The Pines Education Group, and the College and Career Readiness for D.I.S.D. She viewed her last position as President and CEO of Aspire, which offers adult literacy and workforce training programs in the Dallas area, as the culmination of her career.

Linda also ran her own strategic management firm and served on a variety of non-profit boards, but of all her achievements, Linda took the greatest pride in her family, husband Sam, daughter Catherine, son-in-law Brent, and grandchildren, Alice and Russell Clendinning; daughter, Sarah Johnson, and son, Michael Johnson.

Her extended family includes her brother Michael and wife Becky Koscso; Martin and wife Sheryl Koscso and their sons Kevin and Jonathan; and her sister-in-law Gail Koscso. She is preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Patricia, half-brother, Ray, and brother, Matthew Koscso. “I have grown and been nourished by my relationships with my family, and l love them so very much,” she said.

She also leaves behind a legion of friends, all of whom had their lives enriched by her presence and now, by her memory.

Linda once said that she wanted to immerse herself in the full spectrum of life’s experiences because only through knowing joy, laughter, love, suffering, loss, and turmoil, can we obtain wisdom. Toward the end, she laughingly said, that perhaps she should have been more cautious in her wishes. But whatever she faced—and she faced much -- she did it with courage and grace and hope.

If it’s true that the measure of a person’s life is valued not by how much they love but, rather, how much they are loved by others, then the value of Linda Koscso Johnson’s life was indeed immeasurable.

A celebration of her life will be held at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 1305 Damascus Road, Rockwall, Texas, on Wednesday February 28, at 2 p.m.

Linda requested that any donations in her name be made to https://www.aspiretolearn.org/