Lynda Colucci


You can see signs of Lynda Colucci’s rural Montana upbringing in her life today in bustling, urban Los Angeles — but not necessarily in the ways you might expect. You could certainly argue that growing up with horses and cows in the backyard translated seamlessly to her love of beagles and years of breeding and showing them. What might be equally obvious is how the example of hard work set by her parents has paid off in Lynda’s successful career in the insurance industry. What might not be so apparent is how surviving both ovarian and uterine cancer has inspired her passion for helping other women battling the disease.

Lynda got her initial cancer diagnosis while living in Seattle, where she first became involved in the fight to find a cure. She served on the board of the Puget Sound Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. “I learned that if you can get a woman into a doctor’s office for a mammogram, she will also get an initial workup and hopefully a Pap smear — and you then have a good chance of diagnosing the disease early and treating it successfully.”

When Lynda moved to Los Angeles, she looked to make professional connections. She told her good friend Jerry Sullivan, then chair of City of Hope’s National Insurance Industry Council, that she wanted to get involved in the group. “He shook my hand and said ‘Welcome to the council,’” she recalls. “That was five years ago. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.”

Lynda goes on to explain, “I learned that City of Hope treats patients with the diseases I’ve had and the cancers that have affected my family and friends. I can’t think of a better way to push toward a cure than by investing in the future of City of Hope.”

Lynda recently celebrated her 26th anniversary as a cancer survivor. She tries to live life to the fullest. “I don’t want to leave this world regretting anything,” she says.

Her commitment to having no regrets extends to her support of City of Hope. “The fight’s not over,” Lynda says. “I’m a survivor, but that doesn’t mean the cancer won’t come back tomorrow, or someone else close to me won’t receive a cancer diagnosis. Organizations like City of Hope are making great strides, so I want to help as much as I can. Leaving a gift for City of Hope in my will is one way to do that. I can’t think of one single reason not to help in this way. You can make such a difference in someone’s life by doing something very, very simple.”


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