Linda J. Shipley, of Lincoln, NE, passed away on January 23, 2024, at the age of 78. Linda was born to Robert and Kathryn Mahoney on July 8, 1945, in Lincoln, NE.
Linda graduated from Lincoln Northeast High School as valedictorian in 1963. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in advertising from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1967. Linda met her husband Mike Shipley at the University of Missouri Columbia School of Journalism where they both were pursuing their master’s degrees in journalism. Linda and Mike were married in August of 1968, a bond and partnership that lasted more than 55 years.
Linda went on to earn her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication in 1974. She returned to teach at the University of Missouri at Columbia, where she became the chair of the department of Advertising. After 10 years teaching at Columbia, she returned to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and was named chairwoman of the advertising department in 1987. In 1991 Linda became the associate dean of the UNL College of Journalism, a position she held for 18 years.
Linda had a passion for research, journalism and teaching. She was a mentor to many and is remembered as a strong supporter of women within her academic and professional circles. She enjoyed traveling, especially to Estes Park, Colorado, Branson, Missouri, and the yearly trips to the AEJMC (Association for the Education in Journalism and Mass Communication) conventions. At these conventions, Linda always looked forward to catching up with her lifelong friends and exploring the sights with her husband Mike and their grandson.
Linda was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Kathryn Mahoney, her sister, Patricia Mills, and her brother, Michael Mahoney. She is survived by her husband, (Mike Shipley) two children and five grandchildren.
