Linda Kirkpatrick of Evergreen died on August 1, 2026 at the age of 78.  Linda grew up in Montgomery, New York, but Evergreen, Colorado was her home for more than 45 years.  She was a graduate of Katharine Gibbs School in Boston.

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As a long-time resident, she became a community leader within a couple of years of her arrival in 1981 when she spearheaded a campaign for an ambulance facility prior to the time the ambulance service was run by the Fire Dept.  She conducted the community campaign to build a facility, including the rezoning and purchasing of land, as well as a barn-raising, raising $150,000 from the community 1983-85.

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Along with Chuck Hazelrigg, in 1994 she co-chaired the Mountain Area Land Trust’s (MALT) community campaign to raise $200,000 in 4 ½ months to Save Noble Meadow – 408 strategic acres at Squaw Pass Road and Evergreen Parkway. Years later she would become Executive Director of MALT.

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Working with the Evergreen Land Community Coalition (ELCC), she coordinated the effort to acquire land for the expansion of Buchanan Park from 4 to 66 acres.  She also worked to create Stagecoach Park.

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Over the years she had leadership roles in as many as 20 organizations — but seldom more than one at any time.  Being on a board was not what she enjoyed, preferring to dedicate the same amount of time “doing” what needed to be done rather than sitting in meetings.

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As graduates of the 50 for Colorado statewide leadership program, she and Andrew Petrick co-founded a similar program in 1995 — Leadership Evergreen — to stimulate new leaders locally.

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Publishing articles about the Evergreen community was her passion — first in a monthly newspaper called Upbeat in the 1990s, and later online in JustAroundHere.com where she was responsible for approximately more than 500 profiles on people in the community.  She wanted to be remembered for stimulating civility and civic engagement in her community and enjoyed being successful at nominating numerous other people for awards and recognition.

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She was known for taking thousands of photos of people at events over the years but never claimed to be a photographer.  Those profiles with accompanying photos are being preserved at the Evergreen Library as well as on the website Omeka.com, known for collections of items of historical value.

 

Although not an artist herself, she was an avid art collector and a supporter of local arts organizations, including the performing arts.

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 Her fundraising and leadership efforts earned her numerous distinctions ranging from the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award in 1985 to the MVP Award for the Noble Meadow Task Force in 1995 to the Lifetime Leadership Award from Leadership Evergreen in 2015.  The Evergreen Ambulance building was dedicated to her in 1985, and her publishing business was recognized as Small Business of the Year in 1995 and Most Uniquely Evergreen in 2012.  In 2020 she was inducted into the Jefferson County Historical Hall of Fame.   In 2021 she was an inductee into the Mountain Area Women in Business Hall of Fame.  In 2026 she was the first recipient of an annual award in her name:  the Linda Kirkpatrick Heart of Volunteerism Award.

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In 1986 she received the first citizen’s commendation from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department for having helped apprehend two criminals responsible for 65 break-ins in the Evergreen-Conifer area.

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he served on the Board for the Evergreen Legacy Foundation and became its first Executive Director, experiencing great pleasure in taking it to new levels as a community foundation.

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 Her name can be found in numerous books about Evergreen because of her influence.  She was named one of the top 150 most contributing citizens in Jefferson County, Colorado – A Unique & Eventful History! by Carole Lomond.  John Steinle’s historical book Evergreen was dedicated to her. 

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Linda was predeceased by husband John in 2020; son Michael Woodside in 2023; stepsons David Kirkpatrick in 2024 and Bob Kirkpatrick in 2026.  She is survived by her daughter Amy Kenney (Littleton); stepdaughter Sandra Kirkpatrick (Fruita, CO); a brother, Frank Merrick (Honesdale, PA); as well as 5 grandchildren and 1 great-grandson.

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After several bouts with cancer, Linda was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor blocking her windpipe and chose not to have any treatment, instead qualifying for Medical Aid in Dying.  Her openness in discussing death and dying as well as Medical Aid in Dying proved helpful to many.

 

The family will hold a private memorial at a later date.