Linda Lorraine Smallwood

Linda grew up in Cheverly, Maryland, alongside her two brothers and sister. As a girl, she had a paper route that she traveled by bicycle. She later attended High Point High School, where she was a majorette. From a young age, Linda also showed a natural artistic talent. She loved to draw and created remarkably detailed portraits, including drawings of her beloved Beatles, and as a teenager, taught herself to play guitar. Her creativity became a lasting part of her legacy: all three of her children went on to pursue creative careers and proudly attribute their own artistic talents to their mom.

Linda met her husband, Frank Clyde Smallwood, at Act IV in Washington, D.C., where Frank was immediately struck by her beauty. They danced that night and went on to build a life and family together, celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on October 14, 2024.

Linda worked as a bookkeeper and typesetter before she and Frank spent 15 years running their family print shop together. Linda manned the front counter and became a familiar and beloved face to their customers. Her warmth came naturally. She loved to joke with people and had a beautiful smile, striking brown eyes, and a warm, infectious laugh that made people feel at ease.

Linda loved cooking for her family, and feeding the people she loved was one way she cared for them. Her meatloaf, French toast, scrapple, and especially her signature fried chicken—a recipe that was never once beaten—are the things her family will be trying to get right for the rest of their lives. Thanksgiving held a particularly important place in her heart, and in the traditions she created for her family. Coming home for Thanksgiving was non-negotiable, the kind of tradition that brought her son Jason home from New York City year after year. For Linda, being together mattered. Her home and her table were always open to anyone her children brought through the door, and more than a few of those friends simply became family.

Linda had many interests. She was an animal lover, and even allergies never kept her from welcoming a long line of beloved pets into her family and home. She loved music and dancing, with tastes that ranged from Motown and disco to rock, AC/DC, and Lionel Richie. She also loved classic movies and was a lifelong fan of Westerns, a love that began when she watched them with her family as a young girl and stayed with her throughout her life. In her later years, she shared her love of Westerns with her young grandson Oscar, watching Bonanza and The Lone Ranger together.

Above all, Linda's family was the center of her world. As a mother, she was loving, fiercely loyal, silly, and fun; as a grandmother, she was completely devoted, endlessly patient, and doting. Beginning in her mid-50s, she played an active, hands-on role in helping care for each of her four grandchildren, from changing diapers and cooking meals to babysitting so her adult children could have a night out with their spouses. Along the way, countless little traditions and memories became highlights of their lives: Friday night Ledo pizza and movies with Eric in the early 2000s, outdoor dinners and fires with Everett and Willem in the 2010s, and snuggly mornings in bed watching The Andy Griffith Show with Oscar in the 2020s. Her grandchildren were among the greatest joys of her life.

For four years, Linda faced ovarian cancer with extraordinary bravery and resolve. Through an incredibly difficult journey, she rarely complained. She met each challenge with courage, grace, and acceptance while continuing to find joy in the people she loved. The strength she showed throughout her illness was an enduring reflection of the woman she had always been.

Linda is survived by her husband, Frank Clyde Smallwood; her children, Jason Andrew Smallwood, Eric Thomas Smallwood and his wife, Abbey Salvo, and Amanda Marie Smallwood and her husband, Jose Blanco; and her beloved grandchildren, Eric Charles Smallwood, Everett James Smallwood, Willem Henry Smallwood, and Oscar Mateo Blanco.

Linda's family will remember her not simply for the remarkable strength she showed at the end of her life, but for the life she created around them: the laughter, the meals, the music, the holidays, the silliness, and the unwavering love that made home feel like home. She was deeply loved, and she will be deeply missed.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate Linda's life on Saturday, August 22, at DeVol Funeral Home on Deer Park Drive in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Visitation will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., followed by a memorial service from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.