Linda Lea Chancellor

Linda Lea Chancellor, 81, recently of Austin, Texas but a longtime Springfield resident, passed away on Tuesday July 23, 2019. She was born in Springfield, Missouri on October 4, 1937, to Georgia and Fred Hulston. Linda was an only child but surrounded by the love of multiple grandparents, aunts and uncles, particularly Georgia's sister Eileen "Betty" Ward and her husband G. Pearson Ward, and her beloved stepfather, Fred Hunt.

Linda graduated from Central High School and then attended Southwest Missouri State College for two years. While working on the college paper, The Southwest Standard, she met her one true love, Robert Chancellor, and they were married in 1958 in the chapel at First and Calvary Presbyterian Church.

Linda worked at KTTS Radio as a copy writer and music librarian but soon had a full time job at home as four babies were born six years apart: Kimberly, Rue Ellen, Craig, and Steven.

When Bob landed his dream job as a foreign correspondent for Voice of America, the Missouri sweethearts packed up their red Rambler station wagon and moved to Washington D.C. Life was never the same. Between 1966 and 1982 the Chancellors were posted to Bangkok, Tokyo, Nairobi, Jerusalem and Johannesburg. American posts included Washington D.C., Houston, and Austin.

Linda thrived as a Foreign Service wife and made friends wherever she landed. She had a gift for keeping those bonds of friendship strong for the rest of her life, no matter where they lived. Linda continued to write articles for local magazines such as Bangkok World and Tokyo Gazette. In Johannesburg she worked for the American Consulate and was a sought-after clerk for Reuters and Newsweek, thanks to her unmatched typing and spelling skills, not to mention her stellar vocabulary.

However, Linda's primary occupation for nearly 30 years was raising four kids in five countries while her husband travelled constantly. In spite of the countless houses and schools and immunizations and packing up and welcome/farewells from all that continuous moving, Linda created a home and nurtured her family with undying love and devotion.

Linda and Bob retired to their hometown of Springfield, Missouri in 1990, where she was able to make up for lost time with her parents and other family and friends. She taught English to Vietnamese immigrants and adopted less exotic hobbies like fishing at their Lake of the Ozarks cabin and quilting with her childhood best friend Martha Hutchison. She helped plan Central High School reunions while Bob served on the City Council, and they both were active in the TKE alumni association. The Missouri sweethearts had 27 years to enjoy retirement together before Bob passed away from cancer in 2017.

In 2018, Linda moved one last time, to Austin, Texas and Buckner Villas. She set up a lovely apartment filled with some of the treasures she and Bob collected in their globetrotting years. She made new friends, but Bob was irreplaceable.

Linda is survived by daughter Kimberly Carter and husband Jeff; Rue Chancellor; Craig Chancellor and wife Donna; and Steven Chancellor. She is also survived by two brothers-in-law, Sam Chancellor (Linda Jean) and Stephen Chancellor (Kay). Her grandchildren are Kyle and Shannon Carter; Justin, Jenny, Mason and Dakota Chancellor; and great-grandson Clayton Chancellor. Extended family includes nieces Emily, Cara, and Alison Chancellor and nephew Christopher Chancellor (wife Christa and their children Evan and Leah), and cousins Pat Washam, Linda Powell, and Kristin Bowen.

A funeral service will be held at the Chancellor family cemetery, Clark's Chapel, in New Franklin, Missouri on September 1, 2019 at 3:00 pm. Linda will join Bob on a peaceful hilltop overlooking the Missouri River.

Arrangements by Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home & Cemetery, 14501 North IH-35, Pflugerville, TX