Linda Matzen

Linda Matzen, age 77, passed away peacefully at home and went to be with her Lord and Savior Monday, March 6, 2023. She was preceded in death by her parents Miner and Wilma Thomas; and her little brother, Harold. She is survived by her children Christopher T. (Brooke) Matzen of Cincinnati, OH and Melissa Lyn Matzen Secor of Grand Rapids, MI; grandsons Nolan and Greyson of Cincinnati, OH.

Linda was a loving, strong, and independent single mother of two; her incredible dad, Miner, taught her to be all of those things and she raised her children to be exactly the same. She was the "cool mom" all through her kids' school age years (and beyond) which explains why all of the kids' friends wanted to come to their house to hang out. She set up tents in the backyard so they could "camp," always fed them all very well, let them play kick the can until the street lights came on, and let them play Atari for hours. She also took the kids, family, and friends to the Silver Lake sand dunes in her 1977 K5 Blazer, where she taught them to drive by letting them climb the entry hill and scoot around the dunes. Linda also lived a life of service to others - driving special education school bus for years, running a few bed and breakfasts over the years (in Saugatuck, Virginia, and Illinois), taking great care of all of her guests; and, in the last fifteen years, she provided amazing personal care to several very special ladies - cooking, cleaning, shopping, and driving them to medical appointments - so they could continue living at home where they felt most comfortable and safe. She also loved to cook and bake and was always delivering delicious goodies to her friends and sending way too many to work with her daughter. No doubt, everybody and everything always came first for her, right until the end. After a very unexpected diagnosis of pancreatic cancer on February 16, she passed away at home with her children and her beloved granddog, Lucy, at her side.

Funeral services will be held 12 p.m. Friday, March 10, 2023 at Cook Memorial Chapel (East building), 4235 Prairie St. SW, Grandville, MI 49418, with visitation from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. prior to service. In lieu of flowers and in memory of Linda, memorial contributions may be made to NLEOMF (National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund) or Wreaths Across America. The family welcomes memories and messages in their guest book online at www.cookcaresgrandville.com.