Linda O. (Gaines) Hailey, age 70, of Middleboro, died peacefully surrounded by family August 23, 2018. Linda was born in Oberlin, OH, the daughter of Dorothy (Stewart) (Gaines) Wright of Sturbridge, and the late Harold L. Gaines. She was raised and educated in Springfield and Worcester, and was a graduate of Worcester South High School. She furthered her education and graduated from Hampton University in Virginia, and received her Masters’ degree in education in 1982 from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, to be followed by a Doctoral program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Linda's accomplishments are too numerous to mention. Educating and creating well rounded children was important to Linda. For many years she had been employed as a Sr. Research Analyst within the educational field and was employed by Abt Associates in Cambridge and Chamberlain School of Middleboro. Upon leaving Abt Associates, she was selected to be the Director of High School Mathematics Analytical Surveys, for the United States Department of Education. Working within this area was rewarding, and enabled Linda to travel across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. She met with wonderful diverse groups of students, educators, and administrators from our nation's public school systems.
Linda was a past president of the Middleboro Rotary Club and member of the Middleboro Grange. She was a longtime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and currently a member of the Boston Alumni Chapter.
She was an avid reader, enjoyed cultivating her large flower and vegetable gardens, and received several ribbons from the Middleboro Grange for her excellence in sewing and quilting.
Linda will be greatly missed by family and friends. She was the loving mother of Rael D. Hailey of Brockton and Rachel Maestri-Hailey of North Adams; grandmother of Theodore Thomas-James Hailey and Aria Sioux Maestri. Sister to brothers, David Gaines of Moberly, MI, Harold “Butch” Gaines, Jr. and Donald Gaines both of St. Louis, MO, and Kris Strahorn of Dayton, OH, and aunt to several nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her former husband J. Nathaniel Hailey of Brockton.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Rock Village Church of Middleboro, Sunday September 30, 2018 at 1:00 PM. Interment will be Oct.1, 2018 at the Stewart and Wright family section of Oak Grove Cemetery in Springfield.
In lieu of flowers the family requests to please consider a donation to The Linda Hailey Educational Fund c/o The Middleboro Rotary Club, PO Box 596, Middleboro, MA 02346.