Linda Louise Smith

Linda Louise Smith, the vibrant soul born on October 16, 1956, took her final bow on February 19, 2025, in Woodstock, Georgia. At the age of 68, she left us with memories as colorful and lively as the life she lived.

Linda was a woman of resilience and strength whose passions in life began with the glitz and glam of modeling and the rhythm of the dance floor. Although her journey took an unexpected turn with a stroke in her early twenties, her spirit was unyielding. She faced her physical challenges head-on, embodying the very essence of determination and courage. Never one to let life’s hurdles dull her glow, she truly learned how to dance in the rain, creating her own melody of strength and joy. Through her wild spirit, she showed the world how to live fully and freely, despite the obstacles.

Linda’s love for people was boundless. If you had the pleasure of meeting her, chances are you considered her a friend—not because you had known her for very long, but because she had the gift of making everyone feel as though they had known her forever. She was the kind of person who could strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere with a genuine interest to connect and hear their stories. No stranger remained such for long in her company.

Linda had a wondrous ability to capture hearts and make friends wherever she went. Her curiosity about people and their stories was insatiable. Striking up a conversation with a complete stranger was her superpower, one she wielded with joy and compassion, making everyone she met feel like a dear old friend. Upon meeting her, you were embraced by a warmth that echoed through her outlandish tales and her contagious laughter. Her laughter and unyielding energy wove into the lives of everyone she met. She could chat enough to wear an ear out, but you’d gladly listen—because, somehow, listening to her always felt like sitting in your favorite comfy chair with a warm cup of tea.

Linda had a unique network of pen pals that stretched across the country. Hundreds received her handwritten letters, each one penned with love and interest in their lives. Her letters weren’t just words on paper; they were lifelines, connections, each one a part of her legacy of nurturing relationships across the miles. Her stories, endlessly relatable, resonated with people from all walks of life. Communicating in this thoughtful, personal way was her gift to the world—a world she delighted in exploring through the stories of others.

Though we’ll miss her dearly, Linda's spirit lives on in the stories and hearts of those she touched. Preceded in death by her loving parents, Robert A. Mingus and Louise H. Mingus, Linda leaves behind her sister, Suzanne Phillips, her nieces, Lucy Phillips and Gracie Phillips, her brother, Robert Mingus, her nephew, Hawkins Mingus, her three children Micah Munden, Melissa Gloyd, and Matthew Smith, her five grandchildren, Michael Henderson, Emma Gloyd, Daniel Smith, Brielle Munden, Colette Munden, and numerous friends, all whom she loved unconditionally.

As we celebrate Linda, let us remember her as she would want us to—full of laughter, love, and stories, always with an open heart. Although she has left this world, the impression she made on it is everlasting—forever a cherished daughter, sister, mother, grandmother and friend.