Obituary for Linda Carol Linebarger

Linda Carol Linebarger, age 79, of Redwood City, California, passed away as the sun set, surrounded by her loving family on June 22, 2023. Linda was a compassionate and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend with a whimsical sense of humor, contagious smile, and a hearty laugh. She dedicated her life to caring for her family and loved ones. She loved her siblings, and especially getting together with her five sisters to catch up over a meal and a cup of black coffee or a glass of red wine. Linda loved to relax in Lake Tahoe every summer with her extended family. She considered the Lake her church and made sure to take an obligatory plunge, holding hands with her family as she ran from the shore into the fresh snowmelt.

Linda was born April 27, 1944 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She was the sixth of eight children born to Aloysious Gronenthal and Florence (Shilling). Before she was of school age, her family moved to Menlo Park, California, and she would live out the rest of her life in the Bay Area. When she was 15 she met her future husband. She noticed him at a school dance after summer vacation (and a growth spurt) and felt a visceral pull towards him. Tom and Linda were married in 1968 and had two daughters together… 18 years apart! Linda was a devoted and compassionate mother to her children and a loyal and supportive wife to her husband. She poured herself into her passions, serving over two decades as a nurse and administrative assistant at various schools in Palo Alto. She retired from the school district and became a full-time grandmother to three beloved grandchildren.

Linda is survived by her husband, Tom, two daughters, Issi and Jessica, and three grandchildren, Jenna, Zach, and Mason. The loss of our matriarch is profound and she will live forever in our hearts. If you would like to donate to a cause close to Linda’s heart, please consider supporting the March of Dimes, a non-profit organization dedicated supporting parents throughout their pregnancies, helping to end preventable maternal health risks and death, ending preterm birth and close the health equity gap for every family. You can donate in Linda’s honor at marchofdimes.org/donate.

We held her memorial on July 29, 2023 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto and were surrounded by family and friends who adored Linda. Afterwords, a smaller group of family celebrated her life at one of her favorite restaurants, Dinah’s Garden Hotel in Palo Alto. Her energy was felt all around us on this day and in perpetuity every day. May she rest in peace