Linda Funkhouser

Linda Funkhouser, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on June 7, 2025, at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was 85.

She was born Linda Davidson on June 15, 1939, in a coal mining town in Raleigh County, West Virginia, to Henry Davidson and Pearl Plumley Bennett Davidson. She was the fourth of five siblings-Gilbert, Forrest, Helen, and Ann-all of whom preceded her in death. When her father developed black lung disease, the family relocated to Indianapolis to be near extended relatives.

Linda graduated from George Washington High School, where she met the love of her life, Harold Funkhouser. They married in 1959 and were together for 63 years until Harold’s death in 2023. They built a life rooted in laughter, devotion, and faith. In 1984, when the Western Electric plant in Indianapolis closed, they moved to Mechanicsville, Virginia. After Harold’s retirement, they returned to Indiana and settled in McCordsville to be near their daughter Lynn.

A stay-at-home mother to her two children, Neil Funkhouser of New York City and Lynn England of Fishers, Indiana, Linda gave herself fully to family life. She took special delight in her grandchildren-Caitlin England (Brendan Smith) of Fishers, Indiana, and Matthew England (Katie) of Roland, Iowa-and was overjoyed to become a great-grandmother. She cherished each of her great-grandchildren, including Charlotte, who preceded her in death, and Andrew and Evelyn, whose lives brought her deep joy and pride.

Her home was one of warmth, humor, and steady love. She and Harold shared a tender, enduring love throughout their long marriage-a love often witnessed in their daily kisses, warm words, and constant affection. It was a love that never faded and remained the quiet foundation of their family.

Linda loved to laugh, and delighted in making others laugh too-often with a wry, slightly mischievous remark, never unkind, always delivered with a twinkle in her eye. She was accepting of others, never judgmental, and always attuned to people’s humanity. She faced life’s hardships with unflinching calm, never indulging in self-pity, and was always ready to help others with no thought of recognition or repayment.

Faith was the cornerstone of her life. She and Harold became Christians in high school and were faithful members of the churches they attended in each city they called home. Linda believed deeply in God's love and in the truth of Scripture, and she passed that faith along to her children through both words and quiet example-teaching patience, forgiveness, mercy, and kindness.

Linda gardened wherever she lived, growing vegetables and flowers with pride and joy. Even in the city, she kept tomatoes and blooms flourishing, and her garden was an extension of her care for the world around her. Many will remember the abundance of tomatoes and other vegetables she gladly shared with friends, church members, and neighbors.

Following Harold’s death in December 2023, Linda moved to Traditions at Brookside in McCordsville. In her final months, as she faced the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease, she remained gentle and full of grace. Even when words no longer came easily, she was always ready with a smile and radiated warmth and pleasure at the sight of friends and family.

In addition to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Linda is also survived by her beloved sister-in-law, Peggy Stotts of Danville, Indiana.

The family offers heartfelt thanks to the staff of Traditions, each of whom made life a little easier for her in her last year. Linda’s ashes will be inurned alongside Harold’s at Crown Hill Cemetery.

Condolences: www.randallroberts.com