Linda Dant Clemons

Family, friends, employees, neighbors and even loose acquaintances cherished Linda for her warmth, compassion and easygoing nature, often describing her as one of the kindest, sweetest souls they had ever met. She possessed endless patience and was a sympathetic listener to those close to her as well as complete strangers. She loved flowers, gardening — her green thumb extended especially to tomatoes — dachshunds, chardonnay, books and scratch-offs.

Linda was born Linda Gaye Dant on Jan. 15, 1951, to Augusta "Faye" Dant (née Gross) and John Williams "Jack" Dant Jr. in Louisville. She was the third of nine children, arriving 2 minutes after her identical twin, Laura. Linda grew up with her many siblings — six more sisters, including another set of twins, and one brother, the youngest — in Louisville's Highlands neighborhood, with even more cousins nearby. She attended St. Agnes Catholic School through 8th grade and graduated from Atherton High School in 1969. As a child she spent time in her mother's native Harlan County, where her grandparents ran a boarding house; her father's family had 19th-century roots as bourbon distillers producing J.W. Dant and Yellowstone bourbon in central Kentucky.

After high school, Linda backpacked throughout Europe and Northern Africa with Laura and their friend Mary Allen Peake. They bought a Volkswagen Beetle for $175 and drove it through the Pyrenees, went to rock shows and Formula One races in Germany, and got into whatever else young Americans in Europe did at that time (it was the '70s, after all).

Except for the European excursion, two summers in Pawleys Island, S.C., with her friend Karen Conrad and a brief stint in Georgia with her cousin Debbie Brooks, Linda spent the most of her life living in the Louisville area working a variety of jobs, including at restaurants, bars and the Census Bureau.

She met her husband, Tom, while bartending. He ordered a Pabst and shot of Rumple Minze from her — and the rest was history. Together they opened the Back Door bar in Louisville in 1985 (Linda's brother, John, took it over and ran it for more than three decades).

Linda and Tom's daughter, Becca, was born in 1992. In 1997, they moved to La Grange, Ky., where for the next 27 years Linda ingratiated herself with the community, serving as volunteer coordinator of the PTA at Becca's elementary school, selling soap on a friend's behalf at the farmers market, and opening two downtown businesses with her husband in a building they owned: Hot Dog Heaven in 2004 and then Main Street Bourbon & Ale House in 2015. They sold the latter in early 2020.

Tom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2021; she was his devoted caretaker until his death in August 2022. In spite of her grief, she managed to allow a new love into her life soon after: an orange tabby cat named Percy whom she spoiled with far too many treats.

Linda's family and friends will miss their regular lunch dates and phone calls — which for many of her sisters were daily occurrences.

She is survived by her daughter, Becca Clemons (Matt Callahan); stepchildren Tommy (Sally) Clemons, Shannon (Keith) Hosey, and Patrick (Paulette) Cameron; grandchildren Ella, Emmet and Emilia Clemons and Kayla Hosey; sisters Nancy Alford, Laura (Terry) Hohnecker, Vicki Brandon, Cindi (Paul) Shrader, Jeanne Halloran, Jackie Merson and Susan (Bobby) Metts; sisters-in-law Alice Dant and Sheri Bronstad; brothers-in-law Lynn and Ed (Joanne) Clemons; nieces Emily (Joshua Brown) Sansbury, Katie Hohnecker, Kara Hohnecker, Kaitie Clemons, Melanie Clemons and Stacy (Ben) Schweighardt; nephews John Vincent (Atsumi) Shrader, Matthew Sansbury, Paul (Emily) Merson, James Merson, Taylor Dant, Kyle Clemons, Justin Bronstad, Ben Clemons, Christopher Clemons and Joshua Clemons; many close cousins and other extended family members; and beloved cat Percy.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas H. Clemons; parents, Jack and Faye Dant; brother John Dant; brothers-in-law Hank Alford, Paul Merson and Samuel Clemons; and niece Amy Shrader.

To honor Linda's memory, her family requests that you donate blood if you're able, or patronize your local farmers market. A celebration of life will be held from 3-7 p.m. Oct. 19 at the La Grange Springs Park Farmers Market Pavilion.