Linda Pletzke

Linda Pletzke passed away on July 10, 2021, at the age of 79 due to complications from several medical conditions.

 

A native of Cleveland, OH, Linda was born on November 18, 1941. She received her B.A. in English and psychology from Case Western Reserve University and an A.M.L.S. from the University of Michigan.

 

She began her career as a children’s librarian at the Parma Heights (Ohio) Public Library. After marrying Chet in 1965, she worked as a reference librarian at the Brooklyn (New York) Public Library until the birth of her children, Adrienne and Jonathan.

 

Linda resumed her career when her children reached school age, first in the Acquisitions Department at the Northwestern University Library in Evanston, IL and later as head of the Special Order Section at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Before her retirement, Linda was assistant chief of the European/Latin American Acquisition Division at the Library of Congress.

 

Throughout her career, Linda was an active member of the American Library Association (ALA). She served on and chaired several committees, including the ALA Bookdealer Library Relations Committee, the ALA Collection Development and Management Committee, awards and policy committees and a planning committee for a collection management and development institute.

 

In addition to her family Linda had several passions over her lifetime. She served nine years on the board of directors of Malice Domestic, a fan convention celebrating the “cozy” mystery novel. She also served as program chair and awards chair, among other positions. In addition, she had the honor of serving as the Anthony Awards Chair for Bouchercon 2001: The 32nd World Mystery Convention.

 

Following her retirement and subsequent moves to Brevard, NC, Longboat Key, FL and Sarasota, FL, Linda developed a passion for quilting and enjoyed learning new techniques among friends. Many of her quilts showcase her love of family and gardening. The latter led her to volunteer work at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, where she worked on an international database project that will ultimately catalog more than 200,000 flower and plant species.

 

Linda also had a passion for theater, music and the opera, all of which she was able to indulge in her retirement.

 

Linda was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Sophie Brady, her sisters, Camille and Elaine, and her brother, Jerome. She is survived by her husband Chet, daughter Adrienne and son-in-law Patrick Breedlove, son Jonathan and daughter-in-law Victoria and their three children, Madeleine, Harrison and Charlie.

 

A private burial service and a virtual celebration of life will be held at a future date.

 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Attn: Development Department, 1534 Mound Street, Sarasota, FL 34236 or https://selby.org/support/memorial/.