Linda Vernita Williams departed this earthly life on March 27, 2022, gaining her heavenly wings into the Kingdom of Paradise!

Linda was strong, courageous, scared, shocked, in disbelief, but still was smiling and joking …keeping the faith.  Linda fought a great fight. She hung on as long as she could for her family.  She was a true warrior and a fighter.

Linda was born December 31, 1950, to Elton Massey and Idella (Reamey) Moore Davis in Memphis (Shelby County), Tennessee.  At a young age, Linda and her family moved to Akron, Ohio in 1955, with her mom, four siblings and one on the way.

Linda attended Akron Public Schools; Central High School and graduated from North High Night School in 1969. Out of fifteen children, Linda was the only one to attend and graduate from college.  She went to welding school and was one of the first women to graduate. She was a great welder.  She was also one of five African American women to graduate in her class at Akron School of Practical Nursing, receiving her license as a certified LPN.  She strived for learning and gaining more knowledge.  Additionally, she was an encourager to others … to stay in school and graduate; get a job and stay out of trouble.  She would do all she could to help others if they were doing the right thing.

At an early age, Linda attended church and knew the Lord.  She was a member of Kings Chapel and enjoyed good singing, the message, and the love she received from her church family.  Linda said, “You don’t always have to go to church every Sunday.  It’s just a building and the building has nothing to do with my personal relationship with God.  However, sometimes you may need to hear a good sermon and some good church singing.”

She was always hard-working, smart and a go-getter.  She never depended on anyone to take care of her and her children.  She worked two and three jobs for her children.  She was too proud and independent to ask anyone for help.  Her children never wanted for anything.  She had many jobs as a young girl and still was working until her health prevented it.  Her first job, as a teenager, was at NYC as a summer job.  She worked for Bob’s Big Boy, Perkins Pancakes, The Mixed Inn, and City Laundry.  She also worked at various health care facilities, being a fantastic caregiver.  She loved helping and taking care of others; it was her purpose, desire, and passion to do it.  She also worked for Broadview Developmental Center, Summit County Jail (as a nurse).  She was so proud and happy that she had reached her childhood goal of becoming a nurse.  When she graduated from nursing school, she was so excited.  She worked at Akron City Hospital for 20+ years, Children’s Hospital Home Health and she did a lot of work as a Private Duty Nurse.  She cared, loved, and had a wonderful bedside manner for her patients, and her family members who became ill.  She was the one everyone called on when there was a family illness.  She was known to the family as, “Our Nurse/Doctor.”

If there was any kind of special occasion, be it a party, wedding, funerals and holidays, Linda was going to be cooking up all the good food.  She loved to cook for her family, especially on Sundays while watching the Cleveland Browns, Cavaliers and The Ohio State.  She loved Julius Erving (Dr. J), Michael Jordan and, of course, the kid from Akron, Lebron James.  She was a member of the Lebron James Grandmother’s Club.  She also loved the Olympics.  Her favorite events were track and field, ice skating and gymnastics.  She loved to read, shop, watch TV (especially shows about remodeling houses, the news and her “killer shows” as Linda would call them).  She loved to lean and keep up with what was going on in the world.

Linda loved to travel and see new things.  She was a member of the Local AFSCME Union.  She was also a foster parent for more than sixty (60) children for the Akron Children’s Home.  She was honored with the Foster Mother of the Year Award while being a foster mother.  She adopted six children and loved and took care of them as if they were her birth children.  She loved dancing and having fun.  She was the life of the party and will never be forgotten.  She was the spine to “our” family; always trying to keep everybody together and helping family members, friends, and strangers.

She was a great encourager of education, graduating and doing something positive with your life.  If family members earned good grades, she would pay them.  When there was a prom, she paid for the person’s outfit.  She also paid for that person’s graduation outfit and a car.  She was all about leaning and doing the right thing to succeed in life.

She cared for everyone.  People thought she was mean by her facial expression, but she had a heart of gold.  However, if you were doing wrong, she would did not bite her tongue about it, because she cared and loved her family so much.

Linda was preceded in death by son, Richard Williams; grandmother, Mary Brown; ex-husband, Richard Williams; mother, Idella (Reamey) Moore Davis; father, Elton Massey; sister, Ruth Ashford; brother John Moore; grandson, LaShawn Williams; nieces, LaShae Johnson, MiKayla & Nadia Pickett and Carla Moore; nephews, Isiah & Jeremiah Stevens and Robert Moore; brother-in-laws, Cloyed Spragling, Chester Stevens, Cliafous Jones and Michael Williams.

She leaves to cherish her loving memory daughters, Lynnette (Kenneth Grimes) Williams, Maliya Williams and Nyla Williams; sons, Jamil (Stacey Kitchen) Shabazz, Michael (Sharon Franklin) Williams, Demetrius (Nyisha Horn) Williams, Jacob Williams Kavon (Payton Prater) Williams and Javon Williams; step-daughter, Selina Sanford; her loyal, lovable companion – her dog, Pig; niece, MaKenzie Artman; grandchildren, Mariah Dunson, Domineck Williams, Shanequa Williams, DeAndre Payne, Chanda Woodall, Marcell Williams, Dierre Payne, Alexis Payne, Tamarion Jennings, Jenaysha Sims, Jordan Payne and Kaydence Parter; great grandchildren, Cash Austin, Tarion Dubose Williams, Eternity Dubose, Chaz Tompson, Malik Thompson, Domineek Williams Jr., Marnaysia Williams, MaeAnna Murray, Mylan Murray, Tamarion Jennings Jr., Amiyah Williams and another great-granddaughter on the way, all of Akron, Ohio; siblings, Mary Risper of Forney, Texas, Robert (Barbara) Moore, Sr. of Texarkana, Texas, Helen Moore Spragling, Elton Moore, Kenny Moore, Michasel Moore, Larry Moore, all of Akron, Ohio, Debbie Williams of Stone Mountain, GA, Sherry Moore, Veronica Moore, Varetta (James) Dillehay, James Davis, Maurice Davis, all of Akron, Ohio; special sister-in-law, Cynthia Moore; special friends, Emma Benson, Julius (Julio) Wright, Louise Smith and Lorene Johnson; as well as a host of nieces, nephews and friends.