Linda Tinelli Sheive

Dr. Linda Tinelli Sheive passed away peacefully on October 12, 2026, with her family by her side.

Linda was born in 1941 in Rochester, New York, to her beloved parents Samuel Tinelli and Helen Latorre Tinelli. Linda adored her younger brother, Archie, and spent many happy childhood summers with her aunts, uncles, and cousins in central Pennsylvania.

After graduating from John Marshall High School in Rochester and Holy Family College in Philadelphia, Linda taught in the Rochester public school system for almost 20 years. In the 1970s, she co-founded an alternative public high school called School Without Walls. In 1980, Linda received her doctorate and realized her professional dream of becoming a college professor. She joined the faculty of Syracuse University, where she developed a fervent love of Orange basketball, and later SUNY Oswego, where she chaired the Educational Administration Department and served as interim dean of the School of Education. She also co-founded the New York State Association for Women in Administration (NYSAWA). Upon her retirement in 2002, Dr. Sheive was credited with helping pave the way for increased career opportunities for women and people of color, and for making a difference in the lives of many emerging educational leaders across New York State.

In her retirement, Linda applied her teaching, mentoring, and leadership skills to her local communities. She was president of the Vine Valley Community House, on Canandaigua Lake, for 20 years. Linda organized educational programs every summer on local history, conservation, arts and crafts, writing, you name it—if you had an interest or talent, Linda booked you for a program at the Community House. She was also a lifelong learner. After arranging a poetry class at the Community House (and helping to obtain a grant to fund it), Linda began writing poetry. Especially in her later years, she would do so while having her morning coffee on the porch of her house on the lake. Linda was also active in the Bronxville Senior Citizens, in Bronxville, New York, serving as president for a time. Diving in, as always, Linda spearheaded a project to interview her fellow seniors and publish their stories in the monthly newsletter. She was dedicated and visionary, with a unique talent for improving the many organizations she worked with or led.

Linda would say her most important job and proudest accomplishment was being a mother to her “favorite daughter” (and only child) Sarah and a grandmother to Anna, Will, and Cate. A single mother, Linda emphasized the importance of education and finding a career you love that makes a positive difference in the world. For her grandchildren, Linda was a constant presence and support. She hosted “Grandma camp” at the lake in the summers, passing on her love of campfire songs, boating, gardening, and crafting of all kinds. Linda’s sense of humor, and her upbeat, constructive, and encouraging personality, were irrepressible.

Linda is survived by her daughter Sarah Normand and Sarah’s husband Ted; her grandchildren Anna, William, and Cate Normand; and her brother Archie Tinelli and his wife Judy.

A memorial mass will be held at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at the Church of St. Joseph in Bronxville, New York, followed by a gathering at Sarah’s home. A celebration of Linda’s life will be held next summer in Vine Valley on Canandaigua Lake. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in Linda’s memory to the Senior Citizens Council, https://www.scc70.org, or the Vine Valley Community House, P.O. Box 5, Middlesex, NY 14507.