Last night the National Bicycle league lost one of its most dedicated and loyal volunteers. Announcing great Linda Dorsey lost her two year battle with cancer and has passed away.
It was in 1992 when she first called me and asked me to do the Grands with her. I have done every one of them since then. Linda and I had a wondeful chemestry in the tower together and the memories that she provided me with are some of the best that I too will someday take to my grave.
My heart sank today when I got the call as I had just spoken with her on the Woodward weekend and it was evident then that the end was approaching.
Any success that I have enjoyed in the NBL, can be directly related to the wonderful race weekends that we shared together. She tought me so much about how to announce, relax, and most of all, have a good time.
I will miss her tremendously. The only "Official Voice" of the National Bicycle League, has been forever silenced.

Rog Plaskett

That sucks...we knew Linda was sick for a while but it doesn't make it any easier. She was a cool lady.
She's not hurting any more.

Take care Linda- we will miss you.

Sorry I posted it here instead of under "BMX Racing". Maybe elvis can move it if thats where it should be. Sorry

Rog Plaskett

Although my racing days ended early in the 1992 season, I can still remember the sound of Linda's voice and the passion she had for announcing the sport we all love. The NBL's greatest events were announced by her and she will truely be missed. I would like to thank Linda for all of the memories and for her everlasting professionalism.

RIP Linda

Didnt know her very long but she will be missed by me . She always had great spirit at the track . Very funny and always had a smile on . The NBL has lost a major asset . Linda your in my HOF of bmx . Heart felt wishes to her family .Sincerly Gary Mason

I didnt know she was sick and tthis news saddens me.Linda was a great announcer and sometimes tested your nerves but she put in alot of hours and weekends at the tracks .She will be greatly missed !

Rog,

Thanks for posting this here. This is terrible news, indeed, but, as Pete said "she's not hurting anymore." Well said, Pete.

Linda holds a special place in my heart, as she was always supportive of me and my career. At some of the California state races in 86, she'd get me up in the town to play relief pitcher to her starter, and pushed for me to sit on the California NBL state board in 1986-87 as press advisor. I was honored that she thought enough of me to lobby me into the spot (and, as most of you know, Linda was not one that people easily said no to), even if my travel schedule for Plus! at the time kept me from many of the meetings.

I did not see her from 1988 until South Park in 1997, when I was trying to get the BMX.NET site going. When I did see her, it was like one of those classic moments when the years just melted away, and it was as if there was no time spent apart. Upon seeing me, she said nothing, but handed the mic off to another person, came out of the tower, and gave me a big ol hug. That meant so much. I was really hoping to see her at the Grands this year and, though it had been fully 11 years since I'd seen her, I had no doubt another hug was in the offing. There is a real hole in my heart over this news.

If anyone has info about services for her, or where sympathy cards should be directed, I would appreciate if you could post them here so we can pay our respects to Bryan and her family.

No question, we'll miss you, Linda!

Sadly,

M

I was afraid to click on this thread and knew what it was going to be about before I even clicked on it. It didn't make it any easier. I grew up as one of Linda's kid's and will miss hearing her in the announcing tower. Linda was a funny lady always insisting on announcing my races ever since I was a kid and it always brought me comfort at the big races. I'm happy to hear she is no longer in any pain and will miss her terribly.

RIP Linda

Linda was a class act. I had the honor of announcing with her and Roger a time or two, and I can say that those times were truly some of the most memorable and greatest times I've had in 20+ years of BMX.

BMX has lost one of the greats.

I'm honored to be able to have called her my friend.

- T. Huff

My heart is sad. Linda was always a voice of encouragement to me on the track and an inspiration off of it--from watching her do years of fundraisers and road rides for AIDS, volunteering her voice at so many races, and her continued involvement with the sport as she battled cancer. No words can express her impact on not only myself, but so many others. BMX will not be the same without her. She was a fighter til the end, rest in peace my friend.

Arielle

I have been out of racing for the last couple yrs, and ready to make a come-back into the NBL national series, one of the best things about racing the NBL was hearing Linda's voice as I was out there racing.. She always had that passion in her voice as she roll called the race, I will miss hearing her voice at the track, but will always remember her as one of the biggest reasons I enjoyed being on the track racing.. R.I.P.

Wow, what a shame. If you stop and pause, you can still hear her voice in your head...........

Now she can do all the announcing at the pearly gates

My heart is breaking. There are few people in life that can touch as many as Linda touched.

I will never forget the last few hours we spent together, the encouragement you gave and the look in your eyes as you expressed your friendship.

You have fought a valiant fight and you set the bar high.

I am going to miss you girl!


13 is sparkling pain free now.

L

My first Grands back (2001) Linda was calling the race and she called my moto and dubbed me Bags.....So, there you go.....Bags it was.....

I always loved her voice.

God speed.....You will be missed.

It appears that there will be a private family service next week in California. Linda's fovorite charity is Wiggle Waggle Walk. They have a web site www.wigglewagglewalk.com and donations may be made in her memory at that site. Her son Bryan has set up a blog where people may leave comments also at www.dorsey132.com/linda

Rog

You're right, I can hear it plain as day. God Speed Linda.

she will be missed and the sounds of bmx will never be the same we will miss you linda

I didn't know her personally, but remember a race in Vegas a couple years ago when she announced that one of the riders (while they were racing) was wearing the same boxers (hanging out of his low running pants) as he had on the previous day...said racer came out in the next moto with a different pair of boxers and she thanked him over the loudspeaker for changing his old boxers....She made it more then just announcing the races results.

She seemed to have a great sense of humor and appeared to love announcing the NBL races. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family for their loss.

Sad but yes, the pain is gone. Can still hear that voice echoing races in my head. She was an inspiration to me, I get to announce now and then, even did some tonite in Louisville. But that voice will be hard to silence for many of us that got to hear it for years. Thanks Linda- RIP dear.

Trey

i will miss her! she always made sure to give us military vets a shout. i'll never forget the first time she called my moto and gave me a big "aye aye sir, doing it for the U.S. Navy."

the 2x4 family sends their deepest sympathy for the Dorsey family.

we'll miss you!

Today I am sitting at the finish line in the rain talking to Redman and he drops the bomb on me. "Did you hear - Linda Dorsey died last night". I was silenced and had that chill run through me. I had just seen her at John Carters funeral and I hardly recognized her. It was like half of Linda Dorsey, she looked so good. She came up and said "remember me". I was like of course I do, but who are you and what did you do to Linda Dorsey. We talked a little but not nearly enough. She made my BMX days pleasurable with all of her knowlege and sarcasm. There are so few personalities that shined like she did. So many years... I remember racing with Bryan as far back as 83. My thoughts are with him in these tough times. Linda was the kind of person you didn't need to see often as she stayed in your heart. She knew a little something about everyone and wasn't afraid to blurt out your most embarrassing moments. The world is at a loss with her passing.

Fron one announcer to another; Godspeed Linda.

Last February, The NBL honored her with an induction into their HOF. Thank God she was their to experience it.

I never had the chance to meet her but she was announcing the first time my kid won the Grands and her comments made me laugh. Sorry to hear she has passed.

Thanks for the voice you provided to our racing. RIP Linda.

Bob

She was great at what she did and always kept it exciting. Prayers for her family and hope that one day we find a way to cure that evil disease. She will be missed

First off I would like to say Linda WAS the best announcer the NBL as ever had period. When I fist got the message yesterday from my good friend Rog Plaskett I was deeply sadened, I couldn't belive it, it brought tears to my eyes. I never thought I would see the day were we all would not see Linda again yet not have her announce another NBL National with us. Throughout my time announcing many NBL Nationals, none of them were as memorable as the ones when I was in the tower with Linda. It was 3 years ago in Louisville, KY when I was there to race and she had asked me to be one of the Grands announcers that year. Having it come straight from her to me was an honor, because for the years that I raced I loved having her announce my races, it was just a special feeling when you herd her voice. She had that special intensity in her voice that just spiced the race up just a little bit more!! Im honored to say that the time I spent announcing with Linda over the past few years has broadened our relationship as friends tremendously. We always stayed in touch even if there was not a race during the weekends! To me she was a mentor, good friend, and always the "go to" person for advice. I Learned so much from her in the announcing tower, she always told me to never give up, even when there was a time when she would be up to announce (when we would switch between motos) the next moto she always told me to keep doing what you doing!! To me that is a wonderful person. As I spent my time over the past 6 years nothing was better than being around her; even when I was a kid at my home track of South Park here in Pittsburgh I would always go to see her in the tower when she was there to announce. She was just that great of a person!! I always looked up to her and I will continue to for many year to come. Linda was a true friend to me and always will be!

The BMX community has lost a true great person and Linda you will be missed by us all, There was no one better than YOU.

You are in a better place now!! From one announcer to another! RIP

We will miss you.

Jeff Marston - Pittsburgh, PA

My mind keeps replaying moments I have shared with Linda. I am glad I have them. I am, however, very sorry that we won't have new ones to make.

From the first memories I have of Linda announcing, the nicknames she attached to my kids, the moment she insisted she needed my help in the tower at the Grands, to trying to coax our youngest, at 4 years old, off his 16" (during a race) by blaming mom & dad for not "springing" for a 20", suggesting that Christmas was coming up, all the while I am next to her in the tower with a bit of a giggle, mortified that she missed the other little guys finishes, but now realizing that she paid such attention to individual riders, as in this case, because she needed to give encouragement or give 'em a boost, she would catch the opportunity to praise the other riders on the consecutive motos. So many other times that I could not escape (nor did I want to) the magnetic draw she always seem to have.

Sorry, I'm rambling, but, I am missing her, as I know many of you are. Something I have realized from reading other's posts, is that she touched an amazing amount of lives! This forum has just a small sampling of us.

Linda I will dearly miss you and the sound of your voice in person, though I know I will hear your words resonating in my thoughts, and echoing at BMX tracks across America.

Thanks for the opportunity of an outlet for our feelings Roger!

I'll continue to read the postings here and enjoy the stories you all share about Linda.

I am surely blessed for knowing you Linda,
Allison Williams, Atascadero, CA

Roger introduced Linda to me at one of the nationals that I attended with my son. Which one I couldn't tell you, But I could tell you about Linda. Her love of the sport was unbelievable. She made life a joy to all who touched her. She will be missed by all.

Gail Parente
Jason Bush

I first met Linda in 1984 when she announced me as the Italian Stallion. She always used to tell me that "us Italians have to stick together". She was a very special lady and I'll miss her dearly. The NBL Grands weren't the same this year without her. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family.

i to can still hear linda say "gar c yaaaaaaaaaaa" whenever joey or jimmy garcia was racing, haha

man she was super awesome

like someone said before.. she will be announcing our arrival at the pearly gates for sure

My boys had the pleasure of traveling with Linda and Jan B. to the Grands one year. When they got home they informed me it was the most fun they had ever had flying! From then on when one of them were on the track she always had something to say about them. Linda was one of the finest announcers and will be greatly missed.

Sean, Chris and Kim Storms

From all the riders in the Nor*Cal region, Linda you will be missed dearly and your memory will live forever as one of the staple voices in BMX. Prayers to the family...

As I read through all these posts, I miss her even more.

And I can still hear her voice too.

We have only known Linda a few years but that doesn't matter with her. You are old long lost friends even if you met yesterday.

I can remember the first time she called out as my son raced, how much she loved watching him ride and how far he had come. She called him her "boyfriend" and he loved her.

Cancer is a word my son knows to well as we have lost several family members to it, it was not easy to tell an 8 year old it took another loved one.

Linda ~ I'm so glad you aren't hurting anymore, you are an AMAZING fighter! Peace to you now. See you someday again

I heard the news this weekend as well. The last time I talked with Linda was at the Sea Otter Classic. Although I work for ABA, I knew Linda very well and we talked quite often. She was an awesome lady and we always made each other laugh. From a racing stand point, I've raced a little nbl in my day and even had the pleasure of hearing Linda anounce my name a time or two. She will be missed as a freind and will be a great loss to the BMX community. I know she made lots of people happy out there.

R.I.P. Linda

Heart drops to floor!! Cold chills run through my body!! Not hearing Linda's voice at an NBL National is like not playing the National anthem. It's just not right. Linda has always been in my corner every time I either raced or just stopped to say Hi, she was always out to give props. She was/is an amazing person and will be missed by so many so deeply.

RIP Linda D..................Love ya!

Ask any announcer and they will tell you sometimes the activity in the tower is more outraegous than on the track. Linda made it fun. Her and Roger always had a prank going. Two years ago Roger, Jeff, and I watched at the Grands as a green tree frog hopped over and into Linda's moto sheets. We coundn't wait for her to pick up her clipboard! She helped me immensely on learning how to announce. My fist race with her was Nashville, Tenn. Justin came up to the tower to meet her and after he left she said, "your son is special". To her, all of our sons and daughters, and the riders and the sport was special in her heart. My minister said that we are all called by God according to our talents to serve others. He chose a great one when he gave us Linda Dorsey. I will always be thankful for every moment I got to spend with Linda.

Steve Posey

Reading about this after the races on Saturday really blew me away. Linda was one of the great ones when it came to announcing. Getting to announce with her in Boulder City was an offer I couldn't refuse. Another thing with Linda, it wasn't about ABA or NBL with her. It was all about BMX.

As others had mentioned, she had the ability to make you feel like a lifelong friend, even if you had just met. Truely an incredible person. The races just won't be the same without her.

I made it a point to throw out a Gar-c-ya when I got a chance on Sunday in Lancaster in her honor.

RIP Linda. You will be missed by all.

Brian

Linda's passion for NBL BMX could be heard in every word she ever said on the PA system and just about everywhere else she spoke for that matter. Funny and flamboyant, she always made us smile. For those that heard her you were given a gift, for those met her you could feel her energy for BMX and for those of us who had the pleasure to work with her and get to know her, we will forever have her in our hearts. Great announcer, great mom and friend, Linda Dorsey is forever missed.



Lenny Batycki

Lonny, you may have hit on something, perhaps the NBL can grab a sound bite and use it after the Anthem at Nationals as a little tribute. My fav, being a Florida rider, was Eric Abba Dabba Dessa, she loved every inch of his name!

Bryan and family,

It has taken me several days to write this after learning about the tragic loss of your mom. I am so sorry to hear about your mom passing away she was an amazing person. I know how you must feel I lost my dad back in 1990 at age 50 he was struck down with a cerebral aneurysm with no warning it really sucks!

I have been away from BMX for over 13 years now but just starting to get back into the sport again and was thrilled to know your mom was still announcing when I saw a few races on YouTube and hearing your moms voice again brought back so many memories of your mom. I did not know she was sick and It pains me that I didn’t have a chance to let her know how much she meant to me and how special she really is…

If it wasn’t for your moms Love, Openness, Caring, Creativity, Drive, Commitment, Golden Voice, and Passion for You, The Sport Of BMX and all of the people involved my company Crit Plate would never have gone as far as it did when it did.

When Linda was so involved in helping to bring the NBL to the West Coast in the mid 80’s and to help it grow she also supported myself and Crit Plate and brought us along to… As the California NBL State Commissioner she introduced me to the who’s who of the sport and also choose Crit Plate several times as the preferred state award plates which was to me a huge thrill to have some of the biggest names in BMX receive one of my plates.

As a sponsor of three NBL Grand Nationals and just as many Christmas Classics along with numerous other national events that Linda was announcing I used to always roam the infields at the nationals and hanging out at the tower we became friends. It was like she was Crit Plates own personal national announcer or at least she made me feel that way just like she made each race feel special for everyone else as well.

Every time we saw each other Linda was always ready with a huge hug and kiss along with that indelible smile made you always feel special and part of the bmx family. After a few years absence from the sport after my dad died I reintroduced Crit Plate to the sport again and sponsored the ‘92 NBL Grands, With being just recently married my wife Karen came to the grands for her first big race experience and when I introduced Karen to Linda the first thing she did was give her a hug and welcomed her to the bmx family!

I can still hear Linda’s voice… “Crit Plate the number one plate from the littlest state of Rhode Island”… One of my favorites that Roger mentioned in a earlier post “He’s flying the CLIT Plate colors”… God I almost died when I heard that one. Or Linda’s nick names she had for everyone including my own riders just made every race we went to so much more special.

I wish I could be there today to see all of my old BMX family and pay my respects in person to Linda who had such a huge impact in my life. I will always be grateful for the memories that I have and BMX path we both traveled together.

Linda I will miss you dearly!

Mike, Karen, Ryan, Kyle and Sean Rodrigues
Crit Number Plates

I just heard about this.

One of the guys in my motorcycle club (He is east coast I am out west0 has a daughter who races Pro so we would talk BMX now and then. He currently knew Linda and when he would see her at the races he would pass messages for us.

I have not seen her in ... must have been 20 years

I knew her from way back in the early 80's. At the tracks in Monrovia and Rich Long's track in Azusa

Back when Brian was making his own number plates

Man this hurts. I really wanted to see her again ... let her meet my babies



One of my best friends died of a sudden heart attack 5 years ago, he was 43.
His Dad became very close to our group since them ... he just passed on Sunday