Linda Ann Martin Sheldon

Linda Ann Martin Sheldon was born on May 20, 1941, in Greenfield, Massachusetts to Charles and Fredericka (née Jangro) Martin. Her father worked for Lamson & Goodnow Cutlery Manufacturer at a mill in Shelburne Falls along the Deerfield River while her mother was a stay-at-home mom. Both of her parents were from very large families, and she grew up with extended family including lots of cousins. She often talked about her family house in Buckland, the pigs and chickens her family raised (she wasn’t a fan of the pigs who she thought were mean), and her dad hunting in the Berkshires. She also reminisced about how much her mother loved kids and was always watching neighborhood children after school.

Her parents, especially her father, encouraged her to study and find opportunities outside of their rural community. At 18, she left for college in Boston. She received her associates degree from what was then Fisher Junior College, and subsequently went to work for the U.S. State Department in the mid-1960s. In her 20s during the peak Cold War era, she was stationed across the globe in Germany, Taiwan and Panama. She brought home several mementos and stories from her time abroad that made both of her daughters interested in travel and other languages.

In 1968 at 27 years old, she lost her mom which was devastating for her. Shortly afterwards, while stationed in Washington, DC she met Charles D. Sheldon on a double-blind date though they were not initially paired together! After a year of dating, they were married in August 1970 in Potomac, MD--she wore a miniskirt wedding dress! They lived in Rockville, Maryland near her mother-in-law before moving to a brand-new house in Silver Spring, Maryland. In 1973, she and Charles had their first child, Stephanie. A couple of years later, their second daughter, Adrienne, was born.

Linda took about 5 years off from work during the mid-1970s when her kids were young wanting to spend their early years with them. In the late 1970s, she returned to the workforce at GE Space Division where she stayed for close to 10 years. In 1987, she went to work for Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Lab. She worked her way up from administrative assistant roles to contracts manager and stayed with APL until her retirement in 2003.

Linda and Charles started a new adventure in their retirement and relocated to Wesley Chapel, Florida (north of Tampa) near one of her cousins. They had almost 20 years together in retirement exploring Florida, making new friends through senior clubs and in their neighborhood, and enjoying the view from their lanai of a pond with all kinds of wildlife. They also welcomed 3 grandchildren during retirement — Artie, David and Eleanor. Linda was very excited to have grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with them.

After Charles passed away in 2022, Linda moved back to Maryland and lived in assisted living facilities. Unfortunately, she had dementia for the last several years of her life. She still managed to maintain a lightness and positivity most of the time throughout her final years. She liked to joke around and tease her caregivers and loved to visit with her grandchildren.

Linda will be remembered for her selflessness, patience, endless reserve of energy, and her ability to push through tough times with positivity and steadfastness. She will be missed dearly by her daughters Stephanie McKelvey and Adrienne Sheldon, her son in law Daniel Coyne (Adrienne), and her grandchildren.

The family will receive friends at the John M. Taylor Funeral Home, 147 Duke of Gloucester Street Annapolis, Maryland 21401 on Friday, November 20, 2026 from 3 to 4 pm. A memorial service will be held in the Funeral Home Chapel at 4:00 pm. A reception will follow in the Funeral Home Catering Room. In lieu of flowers, donations in Linda's name to the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org would be appreciated.