Linda Lee Aaker

Linda Lee Aaker died on February, 15th in Austin Texas. Linda learned early in life in Texas that if you made good grades and were polite, you could get away with otherwise outrageous behavior including protesting the Vietnam War, hitchhiking through Europe, trekking in the Himalayas, branding cattle, and becoming a pilot and a mother. After attending The University of Texas Law School, she joined the Texas Attorney General’s Office (1974-83), where she wrote the opinion holding that women did not have to assume their husband’s surnames upon marriage. Eventually she became Chief of the Antitrust Division where she negotiated the settlement of the largest state antitrust civil penalties lawsuit in the United States at that time. Linda left public service to become a partner in the Austin firm of Bickerstaff, Heath, Smiley, Pollan, Kever & McDaniel (1983- 2000). President Clinton appointed Linda to the Council of the National Endowment for the Humanities where she served from 2000-05. She served on various boards involving women’s issues as well as on the board of Mosaic and the The Center for Public Policy Priorities (now Every Texan) from 2007-2016. In addition to her book, A Woman’s Odyssey: Journals l976-92 she published numerous articles in the Washington Post.

She is survived by her son Will; her sisters Cathy and Janet; niece Courtney and her son Casper; nephew David and his children Nigel, Gavin, and Harlan; niece Karina and niece Amy; children of her husband Bob - Shannon, Landis,Martha Louise and her children Landis Hagerty and Finn Hagerty

Visitation will take place on Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. in the University United Methodist Church (2409 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78705). Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. in the church.

In lieu of flowers or charitable donations, she would be honored if you would do a random act of kindness.