Linda Velasco

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Linda M. Velasco Obituary
August 14th, 1964 – March 15th, 2017

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Linda Montoya Velasco (52) was born August 14th, 1964 to Marilyn W. Long and Phil Montoya in Murray, Utah. Following a life full of faith, service, integrity, hard-work and courage, Linda peacefully passed into the hands of our Lord on Wednesday, March 15th, after a long fight with breast cancer.  Linda and her family spent the majority of her youth living in Sandy, Utah. She married Juan Velasco, in the West Jordan Temple, on November 16th, 1990 and eventually moved to Spring, Texas.

As part of a very active family, Linda spent considerable time enjoying dance both growing up and in college.  She graduated from Jordan High School in 1982, and thereafter pursued a career in education, getting her undergraduate degree in Health and Physical Education in 1991 with a minor in Spanish, from Utah State University - Cum Laude -.  Prior to graduating from college (1985-1986), she served an LDS full-time mission in the Costa Rica-Panama, San Jose Mission.

She is, and always will be, a difference maker. Her teaching career included 10 years at Aldine School District and 6 additional years in Spring ISD where she taught Junior-High Spanish. Eventually, she became an adjunct Instructor at ITT Technical Institute, where she thought business strategy; she also worked with Farmers Insurance and Memorial Herman Health System, where she worked as a Patient Access Representative.

As with her professional life, Linda devoted herself wholly to her faith, family and friends. She was a tireless giver and dedicated young women’s advisor. She also enjoyed getting together with family and friends to talk, laugh and have a good time. Given how many lives Linda have touched, she has left behind a large contingent of loving family and friends, who will always miss her Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas treats. When it comes to family, her daughter, Sophia, her only child, was the light of her life.  Linda adored her child with all her being and was deeply involved with her activities.  From providing baked goods to chaperoning church dances and band trips, nothing was too much to ask of Linda.

She is survived by her husband of 26 years, Juan Velasco, her daughter, Sophia Katherine Velasco; her mother, Marilyn W. Long; her father, Phil Montoya; her sister, Suzanne Okelberry; her brother, Steve Montoya; her brother, William Montoya; her brother, John Montoya; her sister, Valita Pendleton; and many nieces and nephews as well as numerous extended family.

Services in Houston will be held on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at the Hafer Rd LDS Building (16331 Hafer Rd, Houston, TX 77090).  The viewing will be in the Relief Society room at 11:00am followed by Funeral Services in the chapel at 12:00pm.

Services in Utah will be held on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at the Taylorsville Ward LDS Building (1457 W. Atherton Dr., Taylorsville, UT 84123).  The viewing will be at 12:00pm followed by Funeral Services at 1:00pm. Interment will be at Redwood Memorial Estates 6500 S. Redwood Rd.

In lieu of flowers we are accepting donations for Sophia Velasco’s education.  Donations can be given directly to Sophia’s father, Juan Velasco.