Linda Cohen, 83, of Amherst, retired assistant to the chair in the Department of Psychology, passed away Oct. 24.

Born Aug. 12, 1935, in Laconia, New Hampshire, she graduated from the University of Vermont in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science in education.

She moved to Amherst in 1976 and assumed administrative positions at the middle school. She joined UMass Amherst in 1979 as a clerk in institutional government services and then home economics education before moving to the department of psychology in 1984, where she worked until retiring in 1998. Chuck Clifton, who served as chair of the psychology department from 1991 to 1995, remembers her as a wonderful assistant. She was always warm, friendly, and helpful, and seemed to have a perpetual smile on her face. Chuck says that this continued after her retirement, when she was seen around town enjoying life with her friends, for instance sampling ice cream at Flayvors in South Amherst.

She held the role of president of Hampshire Village Association for a number of years. As a member of the South Congregational Church of Amherst, she started the Crafty Ladies Group. For many years, she was a fixture on the South Amherst Common for the annual 4th of July parade. She was an avid tennis player, skier, and golfer.