Linda "Gail" Altman Fish

WILLOW SPRING - Linda "Gail" Altman Fish, 77, passed away on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was fortunate to spend time with cherished family and loved ones before she peacefully passed, and her beloved daughter, Stephanie, was at her side. A pillar of her church and adored by all who knew her, Gail left a remarkable imprint on those lucky enough to know her.

Gail was born August 27, 1948, in Harnett County, North Carolina, to Hugh Lee Altman and Maude Cook Altman. She was the youngest of three, with two older brothers she loved, Bruce and Jerry Altman.

Love found Gail early when she was at Angier Elementary School and met Kenneth Fish, whom she went on to marry on Christmas Eve in 1965. In 1970, they welcomed their daughter, Stephanie, into their lives. She worked as an executive secretary at Winn-Dixie's Raleigh headquarters before her 1987 diagnosis with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Despite battling a life-threatening illness for her entire adult life, she harbored neither grievance nor bitterness and exhibited grace, generosity, and kindness to all she encountered. A member of the Golden Threadsss Bible study group at Angier Baptist Church, she loved to spend time with her friends and enjoyed studying the Bible both on her own and with others.

When her grandchildren were born, Gail adored them and loved teaching them to make homemade ice cream, picking blueberries together in her yard, and driving around with them in her golf cart. With her daughter, she loved to make cards and watch each new Hallmark movie. Among her most cherished memories were the times she spent traveling with her husband, daughter, and grandchildren to the beach and the mountains.

After Gail's husband, Kenneth, passed away in 2022, Kenneth's brothers and their wives and children were tremendously generous in caring for Gail, taking her to doctor's appointments, and perhaps most critically, bringing her for ice cream and making her laugh. Dr. Kishan Parikh at WakeMed was an indefatigable and kind doctor who took care of Gail with grace and with generosity, and the family is particularly indebted to him for his care.

Gail was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Kenneth Myron Fish; brother, Bruce Altman; and sister-in-law, Sarah Altman.

Gail is survived by her daughter, Stephanie Anne Fish Jenkins (Jim) of Pinehurst; grandchildren, Brittany Anne Jenkins of Chapel Hill and Connor James Jenkins of New Haven, Connecticut; and brother, Jerry Altman (Connie) of Sanford.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to either the WakeMed Foundation Heart Services, in honor of the unparalleled and exceptional care that Gail received from the doctors and nurses at WakeMed over the years, by visiting https://www.wakemed.org/giving/make-a-gift and selecting "Heart Services" in the Designation Dropdown Menu; or to Angier Baptist Church: PO Box 130, Angier, NC 27501 and include "Linda Gail Fish" in the memo line of your check.

The family will receive friends and relatives for visitation from 5:00 - 7:00 PM on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Angier (300 E. McIver Street, Angier, NC 27501). The funeral will be held at 2:00 PM on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at Angier Baptist Church (155 S. Hickory Street, Angier, NC 27501), followed by burial at Lakeside Memorial Gardens.

A service of Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Angier. Online condolences may be made at www.bryan-leefuneralhome.com