Linda Rose Knott Strother, 86, of Raleigh, North Carolina, passed away on May 2, 2026, from pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to scleroderma.
She was born to Mildred and Stephen Knott on November 21, 1939, at Granville Hospital in Oxford, NC, and was preceded in death by her brother, S. Edwin Knott (Beth). She graduated from Oxford High School and earned a BSN from the UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing in 1962.
Linda began her nursing career at the old Rex Hospital and later transitioned to Public Health Nursing at the Wake County Health Department, now known as Wake County Health and Human Services. During her career, she received the Great 100 Nursing Award, the Margaret B. Dolan Award, the Individual Service Award, and the Outstanding Committee Award.
In 1966, Linda established the first child screening and outlying clinics in Wake County to bring services to people unable to travel to Raleigh. She helped establish the first Family Planning Clinic in Wake County and played a key role in obtaining initial legal authorization for Nurse Practitioners in North Carolina. She also wrote emergency response policies for fire, bomb, and natural disasters.
Linda became Director of Nursing at Wake County Health and Human Services in 1996 and retired in 1999. After 9/11, she developed Wake County’s Human Services Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Plan. From 1999 to 2000, she helped establish Healing Transitions (formerly The Healing Place), which offers peer-based, recovery-oriented services to homeless, uninsured, and underserved individuals with alcoholism and other drug addictions. The program is designed to rekindle a person’s desire and ability to return to a meaningful and productive life and has achieved great success. Healing Transitions is the program Linda was most proud to help bring to Wake County, where it continues to thrive under the direction of Chris Budnick.
Linda most treasured her family, with her grandchildren being her greatest blessing. Her love of animals was immense, from her first childhood dog, Smokey, to her beloved cat, Tommie. Her talents included creating beautiful beaded ornaments, which she sold at many craft shows, as well as painting and extraordinary cooking. She was a force of nature—short in stature but with a larger-than-life presence. She never backed down from anything and always tried to lend a helping hand to anyone in need.
Linda is survived by her husband of 65 years, J. Rufus Strother; her children, Sharon Strother Hauser (Mike), Jim Strother, and Tony Strother; and four grandchildren, Nicholas Hauser, Jordan Hauser, Hartison Hauser, and Jacquelyn Hauser.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Healing Transitions, SPCA of Wake County, St. Jude, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, Save the Children, or Piedmont Farm Animal Rescue.
Visitation will be held at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 1701 East Millbrook Road, Raleigh, NC 27609, US, on May 11, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 1701 East Millbrook Road, Raleigh, NC 27609, US, on May 11, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
