Linda Koury Ducruet

DUCRUET, Linda Koury, died on Sept. 28, 2016, at home in Fairfield, Conn. She was 61. Linda will be remembered for her luminous intellect, flair for language, irrepressible sense of humor and effortless entertaining. Her legacy lives on through friends and family for whom Linda was a beloved advocate and confidante. Linda graduated from Greens Farms Academy in 1973 and Smith College in 1977. She spent her junior year in Paris where she mastered the French language and discovered her raison d'être - to savor the food of life with good company. Her love of French food and culture led her back to Paris to study at Le Cordon Bleu. Through mutual friends, she met the love of her life, Jean Baptiste Ducruet whom she married in 1982. They lived in Paris before returning to the U.S. and settled near Linda's hometown of Westport, Conn., where they raised their children, Christina and Alexander. Linda was a devoted, fiercely loving wife and mother who provided a foundation of unwavering support and affection. Her days as grandmother to Felix were filled with joy. Linda's unbreakable bond with Jean Baptiste was based in romance and a shared appreciation for beauty in all things. In her children's eyes, she set a strong example imparting her zest for life and proving that it is possible to have it all. Linda's career began at IBM and continued in banking. She found her professional calling in executive search and joined Heidrick & Struggles as Partner in the financial services practice in 1994. In 2003, she founded her own search firm, Ducruet & Associates. Linda placed top executive talent at the world's leading financial institutions, many of which credit her with changing their practices. Countless individuals thank her for shaping their career and life for the better. Linda brought people together for some of the most joyous moments of their lives and she was their trusted counsel during challenging moments as well. For many, Linda's opinion was the first and only one that mattered. Her depth, warmth, and sparkle drew people into her orbit creating a breathtaking constellation of friendships, which Linda cherished above all. "The days of being in love with your friends are the best in one's life," she wrote in her Paris 1976 journal. She had a lifetime of those best days. Linda was predeceased by her father Frederick Koury. She is survived by her husband, Jean Baptiste Ducruet; her mother, Kariene Koury; her sisters, Malakie Koury, Suzanne Brag and Kariene Maloney; her son, Alex; her daughter, Christina; her son-in-law, J Paul Ross and her grandson, Felix Ross. Memorial contributions may be made to Fidelity Charitable. Checks should be made payable to Fidelity Charitable and sent to Fidelity Charitable, P.O Box 770001, Cincinnati, OH 45277-0053. Please reference The Linda Koury Ducruet Charitable Gift Fund A/C #1100160 in the memo field of your check. The family will then make recommendations for gifts that honor Linda's passions as well as support efforts to improve pancreatic cancer outcomes.