Margaret Linda Chernisky

Margaret Linda (Sisson) Chernisky

Linda grew up on a Montana ranch working hard; first for her family by herding cattle and helping her parents, Edgar and Margaret Buckley Sisson, raise her brother and sister, James (Buck) Sisson (wife Kay), and Billie Louise Lape in Geyser, MT. Then Linda paid her own way through Whitworth College in Spokane, WA and, afterwards, worked as an organizer for the American Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO).

It was in her beloved home state of Montana, on a golf course, where she met the only love of her life, John B. Chernisky formerly from Akron, Ohio. They married and started their family, first with Katherine (Kaje) Stuckey (husband Mike) and then Mark (wife Erin). They also obtained private pilot’s licenses and enjoyed flying the “The Big Sky State”. John got a job with the federal government and moved the family to McLean, Virginia, where Linda really dove into politics, both working and running local campaigns.

Her new Virginia friends became like family. Linda was fearless, intelligent, and brave. Perhaps the cattle ranching helped, but she proved a smart operative first in local politics and later as a female business owner. She started and ran Blue Ridge Landscaping for over twenty years and employed local and immigrant workers, noting that the hardest workers she ever had were the ones who wanted to be here, regardless of where they were from.

Losing John too early made her an independent woman for the rest of her life. She set an example for her six grandchildren who she considered above reproach: Karlin McDermott (husband Troy, son Declan), Jillian and Barrett Stuckey, Emma, Nick and John Chernisky. She almost never missed a lacrosse or little league game, piano recital or swim event. All her grands were better than all the other grandchildren in everything according to her!

Retirement from landscaping afforded time to work to elect local and national candidates that would ensure Virginia and America would be a place she is proud to live in. Volunteering around Northern VA, most recently, Sterling, VA, she drove voters to polls and worked elections. Retirement also freed up time to cheer for her Orioles, Nationals, Redskins/Commanders and Mystics!

More recently, she experienced a series of falls. The last fall was the final one.

A private burial with family at the Chernisky plot in Portage, PA, where her true love John is also buried, will be set at a later date. We are comforted that they are finally reunited to discuss and debate baseball and politics for all eternity.

No formal gathering is being planned. Instead of rehashing the past, Linda would want us to put our energy and effort into improving the future. She believed that engaged and involved people can change the community and world for the better. Please carry on that mission, and support to elect more women.

Should you wish to donate, donate to NPR, which she cherished as a non-profit news source, or to Mom’s Demand Action to Stop Gun Violence, ever worried that someone she loved would be taken in such a random and violent manner. And finally, make some homemade pancakes this weekend, she really was the best pancake maker, just ask her grandchildren.