Linda Parmeter

Linda Joyce Parmeter was born on April 4, 1950, in Alamosa, CO. She was one of five daughters born to Alma and Wilbur Klattenhoff. Linda was the middle child with two older sisters, Carol and Susan and two younger sisters Nancy and Kathy. As a child Linda lived in Carlsbad and Albuquerque graduating from Sandia High School in 1968. It was at this school where she met and fell in love with her husband Dave Parmeter after walking up to him and asking if he knew the words to the Star-Spangled Banner. The two got engaged at her prom and married soon after on August 23, 1969. Linda worked while Dave finished up his college and post college degrees at UNM. They eventually moved to El Paso which is where they spent the next chapter of their lives. Linda went back to school in her forties and graduated with honors from UTEP’s Liberal Arts School. She briefly taught English at Jefferson High school before starting to work at Crestline Building Corporation, a construction company she and Dave started together. They worked side by side for 30 years eating lunch together daily. They moved to Las Cruces, NM in 1998, which is where they spent the rest of their time. 

Linda was a kind empathetic person who had never met a stranger. It didn’t matter if she had known them her whole life or just met them on a plane for one hour, she would love them and feel a real connection to them. She always gave selflessly without asking for any acknowledgement to those she cared about. 

Linda had an enormous love for dogs and her ultimate dream was to own a dog ranch where she would welcome any homeless dog she found and give it a loving home. Since she was unable to fulfill that dream, she worked endlessly to find homes for any homeless dog she might come across. It didn’t matter if she was on a busy highway with cars going 80 miles per hour or if it was while on a trip with a plane flight scheduled, if she saw a dog without an owner, she would find a way to help it including canceling her flight and renting a car home or picking the dog up and bringing it to visit her daughter in a rental where dogs weren’t allowed. 

Linda is survived by her husband Dave, her son Matt, his wife Becky, their kids Mayson, Hunter and Logan, and her daughter Leslie and her daughters Morgan and Taylor. She also is survived by her four sisters. She loved her role as a grandma and would do anything she could to spend time with those babies. She always brought the fun and would get on the floor and never tire of playing with them at their level. As the grandkids grew older, she was enormously proud of all their accomplishments and loved going to any school performance or sporting event she could. She was an excellent mother who really cared about knowing her kids and getting to know their friends. She had great relationships with their friends who always wanted to hang out with her when she was visiting in town. 

Our lives were all made better because Linda was a part of it. 

Thank you to everyone who provided care over the last few years especially her dedicated caregiver Ida Chavez, the staff at Legacy at Cimarron (Sarai, Mary Lou, Haydee, Natalia, Angelica, Esther, Jessica, Juan, Maria Esther, Perla, Benessa, April, and Jacob), Ruben with Desert Physio, Visiting Angels, and Trinity Hospice. A private family ceremony will be held in the spring.