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Lisa Link
Image above: Lisa Link (center) was an avid golfer. Here she is flanked by family members on the tee at the famed 17th (Island Green) hole at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass at Ponte Vedra, Fla. Credit: NASA Employees at Science Systems and Applications Inc. (SSAI) and NASA Langley Research Center are mourning the loss of a dear friend and colleague, Lisa Link. Link, 46, died on Sept. 12, 2009, at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News after a long battle with cancer.
She graduated from Bethel High School in 1981 and was employed for many years at the Naval Weapons Station in Yorktown. For the last 10 years, Link has worked at NASA Langley in the Atmospheric Science Data Center, working on data processing for CERES and FLASHFlux.
Sue Sorlie, Link's close friend and colleague at SSAI, describes her as a dedicated employee. "Lisa was a hard worker, and she was known for her own special ways of doing things. Even when she wasn't feeling well, Lisa would log onto her computer and work from home."
She knew how to have fun. "Lisa was so playful. She has even pulled some practical jokes on us. She had the best sense of humor, and she touched many people," says Sorlie.
Ed Kizer, another colleague, went to lunch with her regularly, and the two shared an interest in golf. Every Wednesday, for the last two and a half years, Kizer and Link were partners in a golf league. "Everyone always wanted to play us," Kizer reminisces. "Lisa was known for making the game entertaining."
In addition to golf, Link appreciated good music and live concerts. She enjoyed softball in her earlier years and was a weekend boater. She also enjoyed traveling to places such as New York, Bermuda, Santa Fe and yearly trips to Ponte Vedra and the Outer Banks. Being an animal lover, Link rarely went anyplace where she couldn't take her two beloved labs, Maddi and Kali.
In addition to her two dogs, Link was passionate about the relationships she had with her family and friends. "When most people leave a job, you lose contact with your old coworkers. Lisa made sure to maintain those friendships, and once a month she met up with old colleagues for happy hour," says Kizer. Link also had weekly dinners with her family, and took care of her father.
According to friends and colleagues, the most memorable aspect of her life was her unfaltering courage and inner strength.
"Lisa was 26 when she was first diagnosed with cancer, and over the years she has been nothing but optimistic," says Kizer. "I think it was her love of life, and I think she learned early-on what that really means."
In honor of Link's life, her colleagues are collecting donations in her name for cancer research. For more information on how to donate, contact Susan Sorlie at 757-272-8471.
The Researcher News
NASA Langley Research Center
Executive Editor: H. Keith Henry | Managing Editor: Jim Hodges | Editor: Denise Lineberry