Linda Precopio Ellsworth

SOUTH PARIS – Linda Susan Precopio Ellsworth was born on April 5, 1950 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston. Nicknamed Lee, she grew up in New Auburn, and attended Edward Little High School graduating in 1968. Growing up, Linda was athletic, always spinning on monkey bars, taking flips through the air, climbing to the tops of trees and flying downhill on skis. She loved going fast on bicycles, in cars and on airplanes. If there had been a Cirque du Soleil troupe in Auburn, she would have joined it.

After high school, Lee enlisted in the United States Air Force where she was trained as a photo journalist and served for 22 years. She was stationed at AF bases around the country, in Alaska and at Misawa AF Base in Japan. Over the years, she often entertained family with tales of chasing down stories and interviewing well-known military star-ranking officers. While at Vandenberg Space Force Base she wrote for the base newspaper supporting the Test Range Mission Program, now a launch site for spaceport for Space X. Another highlight was Lee’s time spent in public affairs for the U.S. Thunderbird demonstration team stationed at Nellis AF base in Las Vegas, Nevada. There she met and married Bill Ellsworth, crew chief for one of the performance aircrafts. After serving at Elmendorf AF base in Alaska, they retired to the Phoenix Arizona area, and then moved to Virginia where Bill worked for the Department of Defense at the Pentagon and Lee went back to school to receive her masters degree in education. She taught ESL (English as a Second Language) in Sterling, Va., and was later hired to teach in a private school for bright, special needs teenagers. While living in Virginia, Bill passed away in 2013 and Lee moved home to Maine to spend the last 10 years on Middle Range Pond in Poland.

Lee loved animals and often brought home cats, frogs and turtles to a frowning family. Over the years, she had many dogs and cats and loved them as her children. After a serious illness, Lee moved into the VA Home in South Paris, Maine where she was loved and cared for by nurses and staff. If you had the opportunity to meet Lee, you would not forget her. Her fun, witty and colorful personality kept family, friends, nurses and doctors entertained with the unexpected. Lee’s imagination came in handy while helping her sister Judi write five adventure novels for middle grade-school readers.

Lee leaves behind her brother Ralph Precopio of Minot Maine, his wife Debbie Morin, her sister Judi Precopio Valentine of Brunswick Maine, her husband Barry Valentine, her sister Maria Precopio of Providence Rhode Island, nephew Jeff Dow of Augusta Maine, nieces Rachel Ortiz of Bangor Maine, Heather Moriarty of Bath Maine, Jen Vance of Westbrook Maine, nephew Richard Ellsworth of Pittsfield Massachusetts, and many cousins and great nieces and nephews. Lee, whom many affectionately called General Lee, will be missed by everyone who knew and loved her. Lee will be buried next to her husband Bill in Pittsfield, his home town.

Visitation will be held at Pinette Dillingham & Lynch Funeral Home in Lewiston, Maine, Thursday, September 5, 2024, from 2-4 p.m. Air Force honors will take place at 3 p.m.

Arrangements are under the care of Pinette, Dillingham & Lynch Funeral Home | 305 Alfred A Plourde Parkway Lewiston, ME 04240.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made out to Maine Veterans’ Home, 460 Civic Center Drive, Augusta, ME 04330. Also online at MaineVets.org/Donate.