Linda Anne McDonough

Linda A. McDonough, 77, of Lockport, NY, passed away peacefully on October 8, 2026, at Niagara Hospice House, surrounded by family. Contrary to her lifelong habit of running late, Linda made her final appointment right on time, departing this world with grace, courage, and Elton John's "Daniel" playing softly in the background.

Linda was born on January 22, 1949, in Detroit, Michigan, to the late Anna (Vahoviak) Patterson. As the only child of a single mother in the 1950s, a time when raising a child alone presented considerable challenges. While Anna worked full-time as a nanny and took on additional jobs to provide for them, Linda spent part of her early childhood at the Guardian Angels Home for Girls, where the Felician nuns taught her practical skills she would carry throughout her life. Those early experiences helped shape Linda's fierce independence, resourcefulness, and lifetime longing for family and a sense of belonging. She later moved with her mother to Western New York, spending part of her childhood on her Uncle Joe's farm in Medina, where her love of animals took root. She graduated from Medina High School in 1966.

A free spirit at heart, Linda embraced the peace-and-love ideals of the 1960s and never quite let them go. Her wandering spirit took her from the streets of San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury to Colorado, California, and the Adirondacks before she eventually returned to Western New York, settling in Lyndonville, Medina, and later Lockport. Though she traveled far, she remained a flower child at heart, dreaming of a world built on kindness, generosity, and a little less greed.

Linda was endlessly resourceful, fiercely independent, and convinced that nearly anything could be fixed with determination, ingenuity, and perhaps a little Bondo or contact paper. Whether repairing a car, tackling plumbing, or constructing homemade gymnastics equipment for her daughters, she lived by a simple philosophy: figure it out and make it happen.

A champion of the underdog, Linda believed that a person's worth was measured not by possessions, but by how they treated others. She had a soft spot for every animal that crossed her path, caring for countless dogs, cats, and even the occasional pig. She was equally devoted to a good bargain, a great outfit, and her signature collection of rings, earrings, and carefully coiffed hair. She loved dancing, laughter, and the freedom of the open road, especially behind the wheel of a conversion van affectionately named "Vanessa." Even in her final years, she dreamed of traveling the country in an RV, visiting her children and discovering whatever lay around the next bend.

Linda held many jobs throughout her life, but her work as a licensed practical nurse reflected her natural instinct to care for others. She graduated from nursing school in 1981 and spent years caring for patients at the Orleans County Nursing Home and in other healthcare settings.

Above all, Linda's greatest legacy is her family. She is survived by her children, Benjamin Masters, Jessica (John) Cecchini, Monica (Michael) Pask, Melissa McDonough, and Mollie (Jared Schickling) McDonough; her 13 grandchildren, Sarah Danskine, Gage, Renee, and Bridget Masters, Tyler Coy, John Cecchini, Ryan, Evan, and Ian Pask, Graeme and Rowan Garcia, and Beatrice and Petra Schickling; and her ten great-grandchildren, Eostre and Stellan Danskine, Sophia Masters, Dean, Vanessa, Preston, Keegan, Tyson, and Hudson Coy, and Myah Cecchini. She was predeceased by her mother, Anna Patterson, and her infant son, Daniel Masters.

Linda's life was not defined by what she accumulated, but by what she gave: her time, her ingenuity, her compassion, and her boundless love. She leaves behind a reminder to live freely, love generously, stand up for others, and never stop dreaming of the road ahead.

In lieu of flowers, Linda would have wanted you to extend a helping hand to a friend or neighbor in need. For those wishing to make a memorial contribution, please consider supporting the Niagara County SPCA in honor of her lifelong love of animals.

Make a donation to the Niagara County Society For The Prevention of Cruelty To Animals in memory of Linda A. McDonough.

Donations may be made through Venmo (@Niagara-SPCA), PayPal (donate@niagaraspca.org), or online at https://www.niagaraspca.org/donate.