Linda Genie McConkey

McConkey, Linda Genie, 76, a wonderful woman, friend, wife, mother and grandmother, passed on Saturday, December 9th.

On September 13th, 1947, Linda and her sister Lana were born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Their Father was Milton Tucker, a South Dakota farm boy who joined the Navy at eighteen and served on Submarines in the Pacific as a Pharmacist Mate – a sub’s Doctor. Their mother, Geraldine (Garey) Tucker, from Baltimore, an accomplished pianist/organist, had come to the Islands to stay with her sister and Air Corp husband.

Linda did not remember Hawaii because her father was assigned to the Washington, DC area when she was about 3. For the next eight years she lived in DC; Mystic, Connecticut and near Schenectady, New York; where she and Lana grew up playing on Lake Sacandaga for several summers and one winter.

Meanwhile, “Tuck”, as her father was known, was involved in the development of the second nuclear submarine; Sea Wolf, and was responsible for the safety of the crew from nuclear radiation. In the summer of 1958, when Linda and Lana were almost 11, Tuck retired and took a job involving nuclear safety at Sandia Labs. Here they bought a house and barn in the pines of Sandia Park. The barn was for their two horses, so the girls could spend their free time exploring the mountain.

The girls attended school at San Antonito Elementary and Roosevelt Middle School; graduating from Manzano High School in 1965. The administration at Manzano, in their wisdom, put the twins in different classes, which allowed one to take all the Math and Science tests for both and the other to concentrate on language arts. Linda was always good at Math, but couldn’t spell worth a darn.

Because Linda’s mother was an extremely accomplished and versatile piano, organ and accordion player, she was often payed to play in churches and in bars or other venues. Linda often mentioned that some of her good friends, when she and Lana were growing up, were bouncers.

Being that their house on Sandia Mountain was small and on the side of a steep slope, their dad decided he would dig a basement that would open to ground level on one side. This was done by pick and shovel, in mostly rock, and with the help of Linda and Lana. The girls not only got to share in this fun, but because Tuck had purchased a half section of land near Mountainair, they got to learn how to build and mend fences and work cattle. Useful skills for later.

Linda attended UNM; driving her Volkswagen bug back and forth to Sandia Park, and working at the Hallmark store in Albuquerque. Her extra-curricular sport was synchronized swimming. She earned her undergrad in Recreational Therapy and her masters in Special Education.

She worked one year for APS and then hired on to teach Special Ed. at Ft. Clayton, working for the Panama Canal Zone Company. During this time she traveled in Central and South America, spent time on beaches and Islands, sailed, partied and went scuba diving. She, and two of her teacher friends once drove from Panama to New Mexico via the Pan American Highway through Central America.

She spent two years in Panama and at the end that time, married an army guy who was just mustering out. They moved to Phoenix, where she taught for a year in Peoria schools, then taught a year in Evansville, Indiana; a year back in APS and then a year in Moriarty. That’s when she retired to raise kids and build a house, barn, fences and corrals, as well as raise sheep, chickens, rabbits and cows. When she went back to teaching, Linda worked for Estancia Schools for 23 years in both special and regular education.

Linda's career in education spanned for over three decades.

Linda was known for her caring and strength; her willingness to help anyone at any time, with her wide range of skills and capabilities using chalk, paint brush, hammer, fence mending pliers and a branding iron.

She is survived by her husband of 50 years; Roy McConkey; their daughter Shannon McConkey with husband Brit Crawford; their son Shawn McConkey with wife Cara Morris. As well as their grandchildren: Keely, Kyla, Brady and Kasey. Linda is also survived by her twin sister, Lana, and her husband, Jim Eckman; daughters Cheryl & Becky.

In honor of Linda's inspiring life, a memorial service will be held on December 28, 2023, at 3:00 pm at French Funerals, 7121 Wyoming Blvd. The service will be a heartfelt tribute, celebrating the love, warmth, and wisdom that Linda brought to those around her.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation in Linda's name to Bethel Community Storehouse of Moriarty, NM ( bethelstorehouse.org )

 or Roadrunner Foodbank of New Mexico.