Bea graduated from Catherine Spaulding University in Louisville, Kentucky, where she received her Bachelor of Nursing Degree. She served in the United States Air Force in the officer nurse corpse and was a flight nurse in Vietnam. She later became a school nurse for the Archdiocese of San Antonio and the San Antonio Independent School District. She served on the San Antonio Children's Center Board of Directors and was a Red Cross Volunteer Nurse as well as a Real Estate Agent for the Guy Chipman Co.
While fighting her illness, Bea maintained her sense of humor and will be remembered as a strong, sweet, spunky, happy and caring person. She will be buried with her husband LTC August Van Der Linden at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
Bea is survived by her daughter retired Air Force Lt Col Carrie (Van Der Linden) Dodson and her husband Col Greg Dodson and their children Jack, Max, Sam, Joe, and Annie of Alexandria, VA; her son John Van Der Linden and his wife Anita of New York, NY; her granddaughter Angela (Van Der Linden) Hammer and husband Rockne of Macon, GA, and grandson Heath Van Der Linden of Austin, TX.
