Linda Mae Melton

Melton, Linda Mae
Memorial services for Linda Mae Melton, 65, formerly of Phoenix, AZ will be held at 2:00 PM Thursday, March 31, 2011 in the chapel of Paradise Valley United Methodist Church, 4455 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley with Dr. Kelly B. Bender officiating. Linda passed away Wednesday, March 9, 2011. She had returned to Monroe to live after residing in Phoenix, AZ for many years. For nearly 40 years, Linda was in the Telecommunications Industry as an owner, as a record keeper and as the billing department for several independently owned telephone companies throughout the United States. Linda was loving, generous and involved in many organizations throughout her life. She sponsored children from overseas to come to the United States to correct facial deformities through the Craniofacial Foundation of Arizona. She organized and participated in marathons for the Arthritis Foundation all over the world. As a former boxing promoter Feather Weight title fights in the Intercontinental Boxing Commission led Linda to wanting to help raise funds for Muhammad Ali's Fight Night Charity for the Barrow Neurological Institute to bring awareness of Parkinson's disease. For fifteen years, she supplied blankets and numerous items for children whom were taken out of abusive homes and cared for by Crisis Nursery. She founded a battered shelter for women in Monroe, LA in the early 1990's. She was a big supporter of Valley Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Phoenix, AZ. She was preceded in death by her brother, Philip "Snake" Ragland. Survivors include her daughter DeeDee Melton Biggs, her husband Larry, and their daughter Isabella of Hermosa Beach, CA. Her daughter Julie Rose Frank McDonald, her husband Frank, and their sons Evan Michael and Connor Thomas of Paradise Valley, AZ. She is survived by her former husband and business partner, Walter J. Frank, Jr of Dallas, TX, and her step-son Richard J. Frank of Monroe, LA. She is also survived by her sister, Barbara Sue Bayles of West Monroe, LA, and her brother Donnie Ziegler of Sterlington, LA; numerous nieces, nephews, and friends whom are considered as family. The family and loved ones of Linda would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Melanie Massey Physical Therapy in West Monroe. Memorials may be made to American Cancer Society, Jump Rope for Heart of the American Heart Association, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, American Diabetes Association, Paradise Valley United Methodist Church or your local Humane Society.