Linda M. Holgers

Linda Holgers of Sea Cliff passed away at age 77 on November 5th at Glen Cove Hospital.

Linda was born in Brooklyn on October 9th, 1948, to Ruth and Carl Holgers. She grew up in Seaford, developing a lifelong connection to Long Island's coastline, forged by joyful summers on Jones Beach.

After graduating from Binghamton University in 1971, where she trained as an opera singer, Linda sang professionally with both touring and New York City-based opera companies. Her varied career included chapters in music performance with the New York Grand Opera; arts administration with Long Island's National Grand Opera Company and the Nassau County Office of Cultural Development; event planning; copy editing; and healthcare administration. For nearly 18 years she has served as an administrative manager in the office of Roslyn-based chiropractor Dr. Stephen Pruden, where she was adored by colleagues, practitioners, and patients alike.

Linda married her college sweetheart Bruce Merley on September 16th, 1995, in a garden wedding at their home in Sea Cliff. Together they enjoyed three decades of travel, culinary discovery, and a deep love of the performing arts.

Among the only things Linda loved as much as her husband were animals of every shape and size. She demonstrated her passion for their welfare every day, whether by rescuing the community's abandoned cats, her decades of support for numerous animal welfare charities, or simply delighting in the joy and comfort animals bring to our lives.

Those who knew Linda will remember her for her gentle kindness spiced with wry wit, her high standards of social and environmental good, her boundless support for the arts, and her inimitable personal style.

The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff at Glen Cove Hospital for their compassionate care in Linda's final days. To her very last hours, Linda expressed immense appreciation for the kindness and dedication of the nurses, attendants, and specialists there.

Linda is survived by her devoted husband, Bruce Merley; her sister Karen Jaeger of Miller Place and Karen's two children, John and Amy; and her stepdaughters Alexandra Stewart of Portland, OR, and Samantha Merley of New York City.

A visitation will be held from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM on November 9th at Whitting Funeral Home in Glen Head.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Alley Cat Allies to continue Linda's love and care of animals (www.alleycat.org).