Linda Jean Rea Gazzaniga, 84, of Folsom, CA, passed away on October 07, 2023 after a battle with kidney cancer.

Linda was born in Berkeley, California to Paul Dean Rea and Virginia Overbeck Rea. She was raised in Pasadena, California and also had many fond memories of time spent with family and dear friends in Newport and Balboa Bay.

Linda graduated from Westridge High School in Pasadena and the University of Southern California, where she received a bachelor’s degree in English.

She had four daughters with her former husband Michael, living in many locations including: Santa Barbara, California; Pisa, Italy; New York City and Weston, Connecticut before moving to Long Island.

It was in Setauket, Long Island where Linda remained for many years, raising her daughters in a historic house she chose for its view of the harbor. There, she used her talent as a writer to work for local newspapers The Village Times and then later The Three Village Herald. She covered everything from school board meetings to Arts and Leisure. Memorably, she defied the zeitgeist with a positive review of Elaine May’s Ishtar, and remained a staunch defender.

Linda later relocated to California, ultimately moving to Folsom to be near her daughter Kate and her family.

Because of her deep love for Italy and all things Italian, she insisted on being called “Nonna” by her beloved grandchildren. She cherished and adored them, bragging about them to anyone who would listen. She even began listening to Harry Styles in order to bond with them. Her grandchildren knew that any time she was visiting there would be at least one instance of Nonna and one of her daughters getting into a fit of uncontrollable laughter over something silly.

Linda was most proud of her four daughters, for the way they took care of her, and for the love they will always share with each other. She instilled in them a passion for reading and writing, a deep appreciation for art and all types of movies, and a fondness for binge watching a show and then critiquing it for hours.

Linda’s quick sense of humor endeared her to many. Her ability to turn “Oh, for Pete’s sake” into a one liner will forever be treasured. And she could make you laugh out loud with one look. During this past year, as challenging as it was, there were many, many moments of sincere shared laughter as she continued to see the humor in the world. Her family and many dear friends will always remember her warmth and her wit.

Linda is survived by her daughters Marin (Chris), Anne (Winston), Kate (Don), and Alexandra (Ricardo), as well as her grandchildren Lillian, Emilia, Garth, Dante, and Rebecca. She is also survived by brothers Denny (Cheryl) and John (Nancy), nephews David and Chris, niece Jennifer, and six great nieces and nephews.

A private family celebration of life will be held in Los Angeles, where she will be laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you contribute to a charity of your choice in her name, or to the fund that they have set up for the many nurses who lovingly took care of Linda during her last months. 

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