Obituary: Linda Kester Cotter CONCORD, Mass. - Linda Kester Cotter, 83, died peacefully at home on Jan. 8, 2021, surrounded by her family. Linda was born ... Share Linda Kester Cotter CONCORD, Mass. – Linda Kester Cotter, 83, died peacefully at home on Jan. 8, 2021, surrounded by her family. Linda was born on Sept. 19, 1937 in Brooklyn, N.Y., the daughter of Harold E. and Rose Rothstein Kester and grew up in Brooklyn with her younger sister, Marjorie, and a large, close extended family of cousins. An unusually capable student, Linda graduated at the age of 16 from James Madison High School and went on to Wellesley College, where she was President of Forum and in 1956 served as Massachusetts statewide Chair of the Students for (Adlai) Stevenson Presidential Campaign. During the campaign she enlisted William “Bill” Cotter, president of the Harvard Young Democrats to recruit student volunteers. As Bill was fond of saying, Linda was his boss. They became friends and later, began dating. She graduated with honors from Wellesley in 1958.