Linda Kay (Barron) Cutright

Linda Kay (Barron) Cutright, 76, of Parkersburg, WV, finally found a quiet place to read on Sept. 21, 2025. After decades of keeping the library at WVU-Parkersburg in order, she’s probably enjoying a long nap with no one asking her for a book on basket weaving.

A mother of three strong, independent women–which she took full credit for–Linda spent her final years doing exactly what she wanted. Her unique sense of humor, which could make you laugh until you cried or make you wonder what planet she was from, will be sorely missed. She had a deep love for murder mysteries, weird shows, and baking/home improvement shows. She could binge on a series of people knocking down walls or whipping up a cake, convinced she could do it better herself. She enjoyed the occasional margarita, which was a sure sign that things were about to get interesting. And no matter how busy she was, her nails always looked perfect.

A single mother for 40 years, Linda worked a second job for decades as the switchboard operator at JC Penney and returned to college for her associate degree in her late 30s. Her phone was never far away, as she often talked to her daughters. They are now struggling with the sudden silence but are confident she’s still listening in, ready to offer unsolicited advice from the great beyond.

Linda was like a second mother to all her daughters’ friends and the boyfriends and husbands who had the good sense to stick around. Her heart was as large as her craft supply closet, and her hugs were always in plentiful supply as a doting grandmother and proud great-grandmother to a small army of kids who loved their “Nana.”

Being the third of six children in the Barron family that grew up in Pennsboro, Linda was a typical middle child who was good at keeping family secrets and scooping up the last piece of cake. In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to make time to read that book, treat yourself with a margarita or manicure, or, better yet, tell a terrible joke in her honor. Linda’s final wishes were to be cremated. A celebration of life will be held on Oct. 5th at 1 p.m. at the Comfort Suites Parkersburg South in Mineral Wells, WV.

Memorial gifts may be mailed to the Linda K. Cutright Memorial Fund at the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1762, Parkersburg, WV 26102, or made online at www.pacfwv.com/LindaCutright.