Linda Sue Vogt, nee Bone age 78, of Sunset Hills, MO, died on Sunday, June 14th, 2026. She departed this life as she endeavored to live it: peacefully, and with her husband Alan at her side.
Linda was born on her family’s farm, off the Big Lake Road outside of Charleston, MO. There she would foster her devotion to family- the Bone farm was the center of every holiday gathering; learn the importance of hard work; and discover a lifelong passion for nature and for animals, especially horses, which she learned to ride by age six. Linda worked for 20 years at Ralston-Purina in St. Louis, and previously at Stifel-Nicolaus and Company, where she and Alan would meet. Her true vocation, however, would be living life fully and seeing to it that others did so too. The years following her nominal “retirement” were filled with activity, she was known as the “Lindbergh walker” – she walked seven miles every day down Lindbergh in her yellow rain jacket. She devoted herself to charity and philanthropy, and in her oft-spoken words, “to the journey.” It had become her motto along with her dedication to stay “Forever Young”.
Linda was a well-known patron of many causes, particularly the Humane Society of Missouri, Long Meadow Rescue Ranch and Saint Louis University. There she was a fixture at Billiken basketball games, a member of the DuBourg Society and the Billiken Hall of Fame, and the creator of the Linda Vogt Cultural Exploration Scholarship, helping students studying abroad discover the world as she did—up close and outside of the classroom. Without fanfare, she was just as generous to those in need: though she never attended college, she took a personal role in helping many others stay to obtain their degrees. For her effort, Saint Louis University recognized her with an honorary doctorate in 2021.
Linda was a grande dame with a servant’s heart. She was equally at home at a black-tie gala as at a sports bar. She would find joy in hiking through Bhutan to Tiger’s Nest or a sale at Home Goods. Dierbergs butchers and Duffy’s waitstaff knew the very same Linda as SLU presidents and trustees did, and knew they would be treated alike by her as well. No matter the circumstances or the company she kept, Linda stayed authentically herself. She was no less true to others. Friends knew their shared confidences would be locked forever in “the Linda vault,” and that what they heard back would be brutally honest and heartfelt.
Linda loved planning trips and taking them. She and Alan visited over 80 countries together. New experiences and meeting new people were always a thrill for her, but she also savored a Sunday in pajamas with a Harry Bosch novel and a glass of wine, over ice. She could fill hours with stories of Ravello, Italy, riding camels in Morocco or petting great pandas. Still, her eyes lit up as brightly when she spoke of her childhood pets, of baking dirt pies for her older brothers, frog-gigging in the creek, and naturally, her early dates with Alan. For their first, they shared a six-pack on the Mississippi riverfront. Just a few months later, they would become trapped atop a stalled Ferris wheel at the Bevo Days festival. Before the ride was fixed, Linda would make Alan an offer he could not refuse: she proposed. They celebrated their 52nd anniversary this past March.
She had a natural gift for networking and deal-making. Mention any travel plans to Linda, and she would name where to stay and the best place to eat. In many cases, she could also offer the name and cell phone number for a cherished clerk, hostess or local guide. She found her horse-trading talent at an early age: when an underage Linda and several friends were busted for drinking, she made their one phone call to the county sheriff, who bailed them out on her word that they would be in the front row of church the next morning.
She never forgot a kindness, and she appreciated any she witnessed as much as the one she received. She never turned her face away from a sunset or from someone in need. She never tried to be anyone other than herself. She never needed to be.
Linda is predeceased by her parents, Everett and Patti Mae Bone (nee Glass); her brothers Everett Wayne (Doris) Bone, James (Elise) Bone, and Wilbur (Diane) Bone; and a sister Grace (Henry) Blaylock. She is survived by Alan, her beloved husband of 52 years; her loving sister Mary Bone; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She will forever be missed by these, and by innumerable strangers who crossed her path- knowing her only by her grace, her elegance, her generosity of spirit and the immediate interest she would take in them.
For her final journey, her ashes will be flown with Alan and treasured friends to the Grand Caymans where she will be laid to rest in the blue waters at sunset. A celebration of life will be scheduled in the coming month.
In lieu of flowers, contributions made to the Linda Vogt Cultural Exploration Scholarship at Saint Louis University ,https://engage.slu.edu/register/fund?sys:gift:fund=c5b03bc9-da65-889f-1233-a97c816e1be1&sys:gift:appeal_key=MEMG9999 The Humane Society of Missouri’s Longmeadow Rescue Ranch , https://longmeadowrescueranch.org/or Lutheran Elementary School Association (LESA)Lutheran Elementary School Assoc | Scholarships | Education Resources are greatly appreciated.