Dana Point Teacher Linda Fortune Dies : Educator, 45, Was Active in Gifted Student, Volleyball Programs

Linda Louise Fortune, a longtime Dana Point teacher and former district Teacher of the Year, died Sunday at her home in South Laguna at the age of 45.

Mrs. Fortune, who taught at Richard Henry Dana Elementary School until 10 days before her death, died after a long bout with melanoma, a form of cancer. She was the wife of Tom Fortune, a former Los Angeles Times reporter who now is public affairs director for the Orange County Transportation Commission.

A 1962 graduate of University of California, Berkeley, Mrs. Fortune was president of the California Alumni Assn. in Orange County and twice a member of the state association’s board of directors. For more than 10 years she headed the association’s alumni scholarship program in Orange County.

Mrs. Fortune was named Teacher of the Year in the Capistrano Unified School District in 1980 and was active in the district’s gifted and talented education program and in developing a computer lab at Dana Elementary.

She was president of the Laguna Beach Volleyball Assn., organizer of Junior Nationals teams, and a protocol official for the 1984 Olympic Games volleyball competition at Long Beach.

Services will be held today at 4 p.m. at McCormick Mortuary, 1795 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. Her cremated remains will be scattered at sea.

She is survived by her husband and sons, Todd and Scott; father, Calvin Boberg of Walnut Creek, and brother, Dick Boberg of Rolling Hills Estates.

The family has suggested that donations be made to the Stanford men’s volleyball team (son Scott is a member), the Laguna Beach chapter of American Field Service or the California Alumni Assn. scholarship fund.