Sr. Linda Larsen, SSJ ’66 entered the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Philadelphia, PA from All Saints Parish, Baltimore, MD in 1966. She was a teacher at St. Timothy School and at the Epiphany of Our Lord School in Philadelphia from 1967 to 1972. Sr. Linda returned to Baltimore and taught at St. Thomas More School, a feeder school for Mercy High School, and St. John the Evangelist School in Severna Park. She returned to St. Thomas More to serve as principal and then completed a 27-year tenure as principal of St. John the Evangelist in 2015.

She led St. John’s to become a Blue Ribbon Elementary School. Saint John’s became recognized for its academic excellence, and Sr. Linda introduced programs in learning differences, foreign language, and preschool and kindergarten. She knew the value of forming and inspiring a brigade of volunteers to serve to better the school. She instilled and maintained many traditions at St. John’s, having learned their importance at Mercy where her class of 1966 was four-time Field Day winners! Since taking the vow of poverty the only material connection to her past is her Mercy ring which she still faithfully wears.

Since retiring from St. John’s, Sister now works at Sunrise Senior Living in Severna Park, where she is the Reminiscence Care Manager. In this full-time role, she serves residents suffering from memory diseases with overwhelming compassion and empathy. Sr. Linda has excelled with grace as a leader who is admired not for her sacrifice but for her humility, empathy, faith, and pride that come from the successes of those served.