Linda Horton

Linda Gail McKnight Horton, 84, of Calera, Alabama, passed away peacefully at her home on December 17, 2025, following a courageous battle with biliary cancer. She lived a life defined by devotion to family, service to others, and a generous heart that touched everyone she met.

Born on September 1, 1941, in Birmingham, Alabama, Linda Gail McKnight was the daughter of Allen McKnight and Madeline DeArman McKnight. She attended Ensley High School, graduating with the Class of 1959, and later earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama in 1964.

In 1965, Linda began a long and dedicated career with the Social Security Administration as a benefits authorizer, where she served faithfully for nearly four decades before retiring in 2004. Even in retirement, her commitment to her colleagues and profession never waned. She remained actively involved in the Social Security Administration Alumni Association, proudly serving as President, Vice President, and most recently, Historian.

Known for her sweet nature and love of connection, Linda was also an active member of the Red Hat Society from 2013 to 2018, where she enjoyed fellowship, laughter, and friendship.

Above all else, Linda cherished her family. Whether traveling together, celebrating holidays, or simply spending time at home, being with her loved ones was her greatest joy. She was a devoted mother, a proud grandmother, and beginning in 2014, a deeply loving great-grandmother. Even in the midst of her illness, Linda remained as active as possible—taking her great-grandchildren to the park and hosting cherished Friday night sleepovers. She was always just one call away, ready to drop everything for those she loved.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents, Allen and Madeline McKnight; and her siblings, Carol, Ronald, and Steve.

She is survived by her son, Roger Horton; her daughter, Lisa Carr; her grandchildren, Jessica Shaw and Zane Carr; and her great-grandchildren, Joshua, Sam, Asher, and Willow.

Linda Gail Horton will be remembered as a woman of kindness, strength, and unwavering love—someone who consistently put others first and found her greatest fulfillment in caring for her family. Her legacy lives on in the generations she nurtured, the lives she touched, and the love she so freely gave.