Obituary of Linda Podhurst

Linda Scicutella Podhurst, 60, died on July 15 of cancer. A Montclair resident for the last 23 years, she infused her Chestnut Street home with warmth and love that every visitor came to know and cherish. The second of four children, Linda grew up in North Bergen and went on to live in many placesa farm in Ireland, a kibbutz in Israel, a walkup in Greenwich Village, and a suburb of Houston, Texasbefore ultimately returning to New Jersey. As a child, she was a straight-A student and spelling bee champion who once won her family a television. She went to college on a full scholarship and graduated in three years, eventually earning a PhD in medical sociology. Everywhere she went, Linda made lifelong friends who became her extended family. Dedicating her career to serving the underserved, she touched the lives of patients and colleagues across the globe. As Executive Director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center at UMDNJ (now Rutgers), she worked on HIV/AIDS healthcare provider training in Zimbabwe, Thailand, Guyana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Botswana, Tanzania, Swaziland, Lesotho, Senegal, Nigeria, and the United States. Working around the clock during site visits, she developed curricula to provide communities with quality healthcare, despite extremely resource-limited settings. Those who traveled and worked with her expressed great admiration for her tireless dedication to those she served. Beyond doing fieldwork, Linda contributed a great deal to public health research. She co-authored Health, Illness and the Social Body, A Critical Sociology (4th edition, 2003), a leading text in medical sociology courses across the U.S., and authored several articles on HIV/AIDS technical assistance and capacity development. Through the course of her career, she also educated and mentored dozens of people, who remained in her life as dear friends. For all that she accomplished in her work, Linda was foremost dedicated to her family. As a wife, mother, and grandmother, she was a constant, loving presence. Guided by her faith, she characteristically opted to do what was best and right (even when it was seldom convenient)whether that meant forgoing a pay increase so that she could allocate much-needed funds to her programs, driving four hours after working all day to help care for a loved one who fell sick, or taking the time to make dinner for her family each night so that everyone could eat together. Sundays in her home always smelled like her delicious sauce simmering on the stove. She hosted most holiday meals and always sent guests home with enough to feed their families for days to come. In fact, she and her husband Bob were frequent hosts who took in many people and always made them feel welcomewhether their guests stayed for dinner or for several months. With characteristic grace and generosity, Linda always took the time to talk (or more often, listen) on the phone, to write thoughtful notes, and to help others work through difficult situations. Though she had many loved ones, Linda was the dearest friend and most trusted confidante of each. She never thought to tally debts or obligations; and while she was incredibly compassionate toward others, she approached difficulties in her own life with grace and an astonishing lack of self-pity. Even when her disease inflicted almost unimaginable pain upon her, she remained focused on making life better for her family, her friends, and the people she served through her work. She was the family hearth; everyone gathered around her for warmth. Standing 5'5" amidst her giant family members, she was a perfect fit for her nickname, "Lil Linda." Having owned a string of Volkswagon Beetles in the '70s and early '80s, Linda was thrilled to purchase a bright-red one when the cars were re-released. In her husband Bob's words, she loved to be "zoomy"and she always made great time. No matter the neighborhood or time of day, she also had exceptional parking karma: she would unfailingly find a space on the street, directly in front of the building, without so much as a meter to feed. It was in Linda's Beetle that she and Bob frequently gave rides home to anyone who visited them, despite their guests' assurances that the bus or train would be just fine. Linda was quick to smile and faster still to forget others' shortcomings or wrongdoings. She could be brought to peals of laughter by her son opening all of the kitchen cabinet doors (she was characteristically neat), or by her baby granddaughter's speedily kicking legs. She was also an unparalleled Scrabbler and crossword puzzler, a devout Catholic, and the truest source of love and friendship her family and friends have ever known. She is survived by her husband, Robert (Bob), daughter and son-in-law Suzanne Podhurst and Paul Gittleman, and their daughter Gemma; son and daughter-in-law Jacob and Jacqueline Podhurst; stepson and daughter-in-law Alon Podhurst and Yael Ayalon, and their children Yuval, Maya, and Na'ama; stepson and daughter-in-law Amit and Irit Podhurst, and their daughters Ziv and Shai and a son-to-be; stepson Tamir Podhurst; stepmother Joan Scicutella; sisters and brothers-in-law Susan and Fred Baumann, and Carol Scicutella and Greg Krivacek; brother Michael Scicutella; five nieces and nephews; and many dear friends. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Linda's honor to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (www.pedaids.org) or the North Jersey Community Research Initiative (www.njcri.org).