Elmer Linton Joaquin III was the eldest child of Helen Graefe and Elmer Linton Joaquin, Jr. He is survived by brothers Allen Joaquin and Girard Bauer and sister, Elizabeth Bauer Brown. He was a dedicated husband to Lorraine Baca Muñoz, caring step-father to Ismael Muñoz (1984-2002), loving father to son Gabriel Alexander Joaquin, daughter-in-law Melissa and doting grandfather to Emery Eve Joaquin.

Linton grew up in St. Louis, a serious scholar and piano student. As a young adult, he graduated from Berkeley Law School, and became involved in immigrant advocacy, working for United Farm Workers in California.In 1979, Linton Joaquin founded The National Center for Immigrants' Rights (later N.I.L.C. – National Immigration Law Center) with federal funding through Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA). The Center was his life's work, receiving all the intensity and focus of his intellect, legal skills, and personal dedication. He retired in 2019.

In recent years, Linton enjoyed his life at home with puzzles, Sudoku, books, dogs, friends and family. Always active, he regularly ran many miles per week on the beach at Laguna. He revived his piano skills, taking lessons and practicing regularly. A favorite activity was family Zoom chats with his siblings and many Graefe cousins.

Linton was a quiet man, who spoke little but thought much. His family, the untold numbers of immigrants affected by N.I.L.C.'s achievements and colleagues that he worked with and mentored will all reap the long-term benefits of his lifetime of service to others. He leaves the world a better place than he found it.