Linda McKay Korth passed away peacefully at her home in Eugene, Oregon on September 4th, 2026, at the age of 86.

The daughter of Eleanor and Miles McKay, Linda was born on May 6th, 1940. She and her brother, Doug McKay grew up in Marcola, Oregon and later moved to Eugene, where Linda graduated from Eugene High School in 1958.

Some of Linda’s earliest lessons in hard work came at the family grocery store. As a child in the 1940s, she recalled once receiving a rationed piece of gum as payment. Determined to make it last, she proudly nursed that piece of gum with butter to extend its life—a small story that captured something of Linda’s resourcefulness and determination.

In high school, Linda excelled in field hockey and softball and was an all-state catcher. This was especially impressive considering that, at the age of two, she had been accidentally shot in the knee by her four-year-old brother while playing cops and robbers in their grandparents’ attic. Doug found a gun, thought it was a toy, pulled the trigger—and the bullet found Linda’s knee. It was an early example of the toughness and sheer determination that would characterize Linda throughout her life.

Like many women of her generation, Linda was taught that women had three vocational options: nursing, teaching or secretarial work. Linda chose nursing. During her final year at OHSU, she met her future husband, Jim Korth, on a blind date. Their courtship was fast and furious, and they married on December 20, 1964.

Linda and Jim promptly moved to Palo Alto, where Jim finished his undergraduate studies at Stanford and Linda began her nursing career. They later moved to Salem, Oregon, where Jim attended law school at Willamette University and Linda quickly became a charge nurse at Salem Hospital.

Linda gave birth to their first child, Kelly, in Salem and continued working as a charge nurse. Two and a half years later, Kimberley was born. With two young girls and a move to Eugene for Jim’s work, Linda embraced her role as a stay-at-home mom. Their family was complete with the arrival of their son Steven, in 1970.

Jim loved Linda—and particularly Linda in a swimsuit, something that became abundantly clear as we went through the family photo albums! They enjoyed traveling to warm destinations when possible yet spent regular time in Sunriver with the kids. They played bridge with friends, loved University of Oregon athletics, and enthusiastically supported their children in sports and activities. Over time, their church became an increasingly important part of their lives as Linda’s faith continued to deepen.

Linda was always community-minded and became involved with organizations such as Junior League and Assistance Guild. As a mom, she taught her kids less about cooking and more about how to throw a softball—and how to balance a check book.

Linda had always been a silent partner in her family’s real estate company, McKay Investment Company. But as her children grew, so did her desire to become more actively involved. In 1980, she returned to school to educate herself in real estate and eventually showed up to work—uninvited.

Linda inserted herself into a male-dominated profession, quickly made her mark and proved herself an invaluable part of the growing company. Her role continued to evolve, and in 1993 Linda became a managing partner, leading McKay Investment Company for the next ten years. It was under her leadership that Oakway Center began its redevelopment in the late 1990s. Linda was tough, tenacious and driven—but also enormously generous.

During the remainder of her career, Linda made giving back to her community a priority. She generously gave her time, energy and resources to many philanthropic efforts. Most notably, she served on the Board of Directors of Looking Glass and the Board of Trustees of Bushnell University. She also served on various community and civic committees, including those connected with the Chamber of Commerce and the Eugene Airport Rotary.

Of all her contributions, however, Linda’s greatest self-proclaimed achievement may have been the establishment of what she coined the “4G.” This was an ad hoc board made up of Linda and her ten grandchildren, created for the express purpose of teaching them about the family business—and, more importantly, the value of giving back. She would task them with identifying a nonprofit worthy of support and then educating their cousins about the organization and why its work mattered. Through the 4G, Linda passed along something she deeply believed: with blessing comes the responsibility and privilege of generosity.

Linda had many loves, but the greatest of all was her family. Over the years, she and Jim shared their passion for travel with their children and grandchildren. She loved nothing more than to be with family and give opportunity for the cousins to become lifelong friends. In addition, she loved her church where she played in the bell choir for more than 20 years. And Linda got an enormous kick out of playing the slots in Las Vegas. She and her FREE Chardonnay were a fixture on the casino floor!

In her later years, she found great joy in her weekly outings to The Broadway with friends, affectionately known as “Wine Wednesday.” After losing her beloved husband, Jim, in 2010, Linda received her dog Sophie, whom she promptly declared her “BFF.” Sophie became a treasured companion.

Linda wasn’t afraid to die. Her faith in Jesus brought her great comfort and joy. As she contemplated eternity, she genuinely looked forward to meeting her Creator, reuniting with those she loved and shedding her aging body.

Our family was blessed with the opportunity to gather around her, to see her and to say goodbye before she passed. We are deeply grateful that she is now free from pain and with the Lord.

And there is one final detail that feels especially fitting: September 4 was Jim’s birthday. After 16 years apart, Linda went home on her husband’s birthday. We can’t help but smile at the thought of that reunion—and what a beautiful birthday gift it must have been.

Linda was predeceased by her beloved husband Jim, in June 2010. She is survived by her children: Kelly (David) Thakkar, Kim (Dale) Williams and Steve (Lisa) Korth; her grandchildren, Joel (Carlynn) Thakkar, Stephen (Annika) Thakkar, Aidan (Cailey) Thakkar, Kailee (Cody) Bowersox, McKenzie (Lucas) Walker, Ellie (Ryan) Cary, Alex (Alexandra) Korth, Austin, Libby and Whitney Korth; and her great-grandchildren, Clay and Lainey Thakkar and Parks, Henrick, Breeland and Dempsey Walker.

A Celebration of Linda’s Life

Eugene Faith Center Friday, October 16, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bushnell University.