Linda Dianne Forbes

Linda Dianne Smith Forbes (“Dianne”) was born to Nora Augusta Brown Smith and A.B. Smith in Palestine, TX, on October 12, 1945. She died of brain cancer at home in Lake Jackson, TX, on July 14, 2026, in the care of her husband and best friend, Robert Keith Forbes (“Keith”).

Dianne is survived by Keith, her husband of 61 years; daughter Brook Forbes Johnson; grandchildren Brian T. Spinks, Jacob H. Johnson, Nora Johnson (Menendez), Mollie Kathryn Johnson, and their families, including five great-grandchildren; and sister Karen Smith Long, nephew Kevin Busby, five more nephews, a niece, and their extended families. Dianne was preceded in death by her beloved son Blake Forbes, her parents, and her sister Lanelle Smith Busby.

Dianne grew up largely in Velasco, TX, and met her husband Keith while attending Brazosport High School in Freeport, TX. Dianne said that “God gave [her] the perfect mate in Keith.” They were devoted to one another. She was close with her father and her son Blake. Dianne was smart, quick-witted, and had a good sense of humor. She was reserved with strangers but came alive among friends. She was good with numbers and managed an insurance office for years, although she saw her main job as caring for family. She liked seeing her friends, learning about God, and playing games of all kinds. She had a sense of style and kept a quiet, tidy household.

Dianne loved God and served on the Member Care Team and in the choir, among other things, at her church, Covenant Evangelical Presbyterian of Lake Jackson, TX. Dianne loved to sing. She was a soprano in the choir at Freeport Junior High and Brazosport High School under director John Magee, about whom she said, “He not only introduced me to beautiful music but led me to a higher understanding of the Savior.” Dianne sang in several other small vocal groups over the years. She was a long-time member of Bible Study Fellowship and served as a class administrator for 16 years. For several years before the Covid pandemic, she and two friends held weekly devotional services at a facility for seniors. She also volunteered at a center for Alzheimer’s patients.

A memorial service for Dianne Forbes will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at Covenant Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 102 Yaupon St, Lake Jackson, TX 77566.