Had a smile for everyone
NORTH READING – Linda (Linnell) Leith passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 9, 2024. She was 78 years old. Linda L. Leith of North Reading was born on May 6, 1946 in the Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Mass. Linda was the daughter of the late Clifton and Mildred Linnell of Hyannis Mass. She also lived with her namesake, Aunt Linda, in Arlington for a short time.
Linda was the beloved wife of Bob Leith of Stoneham Mass. for 57 years. They were very active together, and loved the outdoors. She was a great golfer and loved to ski. Linda loved to travel with her husband and her mother and father. Some of their memorable trips were white water rafting in Maine, traveling to Cancun in the Caribbean, and to Bermuda twice. She and Bob walked together on the Great Wall of China.
Linda grew up with her siblings in the house that her father built himself. She had four brothers and sisters all with the same letter in their first name: Louise, Linda, Leslie, Larry and Lee. Now there are only two living siblings, Louise and Larry. After she and Bob were married, they chuckled that Linda did not have to change her initials, which are L.L.L.
Linda and Bob did not have children because she was born with only one kidney, which she discovered when she was hit in the right kidney while playing field hockey in the 7th grade. The doctor ruled it was too risky for her to have children.
Linda bought the beauty salon “Performance Plus” in the Heritage Building on Main Street on Route 28 in North Reading in 1981, which she owned for 10 years. Performance Plus is still operating at the same location. Linda was a bank teller before she was a hairdresser. She went to hair dressing school, but that was not enough. She wanted to get the best training in the best school, so she went to Vidal Sassoon in London, England and took her five employees with her. Her husband Bob stayed back and worked on the salon with her father to make “Performance Plus” beautiful. Linda also took up professional color analysis. She learned the colors nature intended for you.
Linda is probably best known as the founder of Polarity Loft in North Reading, a wellness center which involved energy work, reflexology and a variety of holistic services with a focus on promoting balance and well-being. She also extended her energy studies with Yuen Energetics. She loved teaching and helping clients around the world. She had a smile for everyone.
Among her many talents, Linda was a long time North Reading Rotarian member and served as its president for a year. Many may remember that she and Dave O’Neill ran a special event called The Chocolate Affair for a Rotary fundraiser.
In addition to her loving husband Bob Leith, Linda will be remembered by her dearest friends, Midge Doyon of Doyon’s Appliance Store in Reading, Kathi Lee of the Horseshoe Grille, and Debbie Birkmaier of Kitty’s Restaurant, both in North Reading.
There will be no memorial service. Linda decided to donate her body to Harvard University for research. She will surely be missed and remembered by her friends and her loving family, who have many happy memories of summers spent poolside at their home in the back yard in North Reading.
