Linda Lee Stell

Linda Lee Stell, loving daughter, sister and aunt passed away peacefully Thursday, September 22, 2022, in the presence of devoted family and friends.  She was 67.

Born in Carlsbad, New Mexico in 1955 to Joe and Verna Stell, she was the youngest of their four children. She enjoyed life in Carlsbad and spent much of her time riding horses and working alongside her family on their cattle ranch south of town.  

Linda graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1973. While in high school she was active in the Art Club, Honor Society and Cave Clan. After high school, Linda attended New Mexico State University.  She earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science with a Pre-Vet designation in 1978. Following her undergraduate degree, she worked as an Analytic Chemist at the International Minerals and Chemical Corporation in Carlsbad for 3 years. During the mid 1980’s, while working full time, she completed several years of graduate studies at NMSU with an emphasis on business and Latin America. She then became a Sales Manager for Lextron-Life Services in Atlanta, Georgia where she enjoyed traveling, meeting clients and making new connections throughout the southeastern US.  Throughout the years, Linda’s curiosity, intelligence and creative nature led her to explore different career paths and find new adventures. Linda had a vibrant, outgoing personality and she loved to travel, ski and spend as much time as she could in Colorado and Ruidoso. Whether it was dancing, cooking or sewing she was very artistic and poured her passion and natural talent into everything she did. Linda will be remembered most of all for her love of animals of every kind. She never met a critter she didn’t cherish and was always known as the person who could nurse an animal back to health after a snake bite, an injury or an encounter with a barbed wire fence. Linda was known for her kindness, her gentle spirit, for being an encourager, her infectious laugh, for always having an empathetic ear and for seeing life through her own special lens.  She was loved by many and she will be missed greatly.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Verna Stell; her sisters, Cathy Kinzer and JoBeth Hawk. She is survived by her brother Jim (and Janine) Stell of Gainesboro, TN; her nephews Jeremy, Jimmy, Kye, Drew, Cody, and Jordan; and nieces Jennifer, Endee, Kacie, and Jacquelyn.

Services to celebrate Linda’s life are set for Friday, September 30, 2022, at 2:00pm at the Sunset Gardens Memorial Park, 1406 E. Wood Street Carlsbad, NM. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Joe & Verna Stell Charitable Fund within the Carlsbad Community Foundation Inc., 114 South Canyon, Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220 or online at www.carlsbadfoundation.org