Linda M. Balaban of Chatham Center, NY passed away on April 17, 2023 at Albany Medical Center. Born in New York City she was the daughter of the late Owen and Ellis Sundberg Cullimore.

She graduated from Great Neck South H.S. and went on to attend Brigham Young University, University of Utah and graduated with her B.A. in Biology from Hunter College. After college, Linda worked as a lab assistant at Cornell Medical School where she met her future husband. Once married, they bought a home in Chatham Center, New York, which they rented out while working in Tubingen, Germany and adventuring through Europe for two years. They returned to Chatham Center with their new daughter, and Linda turned her attention to raising her family. As her children got older, she resumed her career in science, working as a Cytogeneticist at Albany Medical College.

Linda had many accomplishments; she was an active member of the Democratic Party, ran a competitive campaign for Town Justice, served as a Crew Leader for the 1990 Census, and was the Assistant Director for the Columbia County Capital District PTA, President of Chatham Middle School PTA, President & Treasurer of MED Elementary PTA, active in the AMC choir and volunteer for the Chatham Neighborhood Girl Scouts.

She enjoyed cooking and baking, placing second place in the Columbia County fair apple pie contest (and first place in her family's stomachs). She always had her nose in a book, enjoyed quilting and was an accomplished seamstress, making and mending her children's clothes and was thrilled to create costumes for the Chatham Theatre company and School Theatre productions. She appreciated the beauty of flowers, always taking time to stop and smell the roses, for which she will be remembered fondly when the spring flowers bloom.

Linda had so much love to give, and she received just as much in kind. More than anything, she loved her family. She is survived by her loving husband of fifty years, Stuart Balaban, her children Sarah Balaban, Rachel (Reggie) Hill, and Jordan (Laura Merino) Balaban; and her grandchildren, Reina and Robin Hill.

Memorials in Linda's name may be made to the American Cancer Society. Condolences may be conveyed at frenchblasl.com