Linda Susan Sawyer

Linda loved to laugh and one of her favorite comedians was ventriloquist Jeff Dunham and his sidekick Walter. She passed along this sense of humor to us kids. As we wrote the obituary, we started to get a little punchy and then one of us said what if Jeff Dunham and Walter were to present Linda’s life and off to the races we went. So, imagine Jeff with Walter chatting about Mom…and if you don’t know Jeff Dunham, look him up and laugh along as we know Mom would.

Jeff: So, Walter, did you hear about Linda Sawyer?

Walter: Yeah, I did. She finally escaped. Lucky lady.

Jeff: Escaped?

Walter: From this circus we call life! She jumped this life fence on August 6, 2025, at Fort Wayne Lutheran Hospital, surrounded by her son Craig (Tracy) Williams of Kalamazoo, Michigan and two daughters Celeste Grimes (Warsaw) and Corinna (Chris) Robertson (Kokomo). Probably telling them to stop fussing and let her nap already.

Jeff: Did you know she was born in Port Jervis, New York?

Walter: Port Jervis? Sounds like a place where you either find peace or a raccoon in your attic.

Jeff: Or explore the Delaware River. She must’ve loved Milford because she grew up in two of them – starting in Pennsylvania and then with her mother, Oriole Kingston, moving to Massachusetts where she graduated from Milford High School in 1968.

Walter: Ahh, a Milford state of mind…well, it was the 60s. When love was free, hair was long, and nobody read the fine print on marriage licenses.

Jeff: Yeah, speaking of marriage, it was 1969 when Linda married Bill Williams. They started out in Norfolk, Virginia, thanks to the Navy.

Walter: Nothing says romance like military pay and folding laundry in government housing.

Jeff: They divorced later but stayed lifelong friends.

Walter: Looks like they fared better divorced than they did at marriage.

Jeff: She worked in retail and banking in Pasco County, Florida, and even did a stint working for the National Turkey Federation in Washington, DC.

Walter: Yeah, lots of turkeys in Washington. Wait—turkeys? That’s a real job?

Jeff: Yep! And she rocked it.

Walter: Figures. She probably made those turkeys feel like they were running the country.

Jeff: It wasn’t just work, work, work for Linda. She loved the beach, her cats Hermione and Court, and exercising her green thumb.

Walter: So basically, everything that doesn’t talk back. Smart woman.

Jeff: Once she settled into retirement, she moved closer to the kids and into Grace Village Retirement Community in Warsaw, Indiana. She even learned to play euchre and took up art and even won the Grand Champion ribbon in the fine arts category at the Kosciusko County Community Fair.

Walter: With colored pencils! I can barely draw a stick figure and she’s out here winning ribbons like it’s the Olympics of Crayola.

Jeff: It wasn’t just her kids. She had a brother and two sisters – James Mylard Kingston, Jr. (deceased), Fietta Joy Browse (deceased), and Maggie Mae Martin (Mike).

Walter: Jeez, I’m sure they were a handful. Kinda like me!

Jeff: She was also a grandma to MaKah, Madeline, and Lillian and became a great grandma just this year when Oddy was born.

Walter: Hangin’ on to see the little one to the very end.

Jeff: I guess the family’s planning a private celebration of life.

Walter: Good. No need for a big fuss. Just some stories, some laughs, and maybe a toast with some Disaronno to make you forget the bad things in life.

Jeff: Linda loved growing flowers, but she wouldn’t want any right now. In lieu of flowers, she would have loved donations made in her name to the Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County at awlwarsaw.com/support/donate. In the designation, select “The Cat House” and in the comment section put “In Memory of Linda Sawyer”.

Walter: To The Cat House. Are you sure? Oh yeah, for the cats.

Jeff: So, what do you think, Walter? Pretty amazing life, huh?

Walter: Absolutely. Linda lived with heart, humor, and just the right amount of sarcasm. She didn’t just survive—she thrived. And she probably told death, “You better be on time, buddy. I’ve got deviled eggs to make. Also tell all of my family and friends on earth, including lifelong friend Sandy Arsenault, there is one waiting for you in heaven and a special bacon treat will be ready for Koda.

Jeff: Oh, and, Walter, one more thing —did you know Linda loved Rod Stewart?

Walter: Of course she did! That woman had taste. Her favorite album was 'Blondes Have More Fun'—which was totally appropriate. She lived it, laughed it, bleached it, and probably sang it louder than Rod himself. Dance on, Linda!