Linda Marie George

1950 - 2020

Linda Marie George

Tempe - Linda Marie George, age 70, of Tempe, AZ, peacefully passed away on October 13, 2020.

She was born May 27, 1950, in Cherokee, Iowa, to Charlie and Margaret (Bunkers) George. The family had eight children (the four big and four little kids) with Linda being the second youngest.

Linda is preceded in death by her parents, Margaret and Charlie George; her sister, Gerry Fitzpatrick; her brothers, Fran George and Jack George; and sister-in-law, Marilyn George.

She is survived by her life partner/wife of 32 years, Cindy Maher, and their children, Rachel and Thomas. She leaves behind siblings and spouses: Ron George, Sharon George (wife of late brother Fran George), Donna George (wife of late brother Jack George), Chuck George, Tom and Julie George, and Mary and Phil Lyon. In addition, she leaves behind many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Linda loved life and excelled at everything she decided to take on. In 1972, she graduated from Drake University with a B.S. in Business Administration and soon after became a CPA after studying at ASU. She retired in 2006 as Senior Vice President of Risk & Group Operations Management at Bank of America only to go on to create a ticketing business with her brothers, Tom and Fran, and sister, Mary. In addition, she managed to take over the primary role of raising her two children. She always joked that she thought she was actually "retiring", but she was busier than ever.

In her younger years, Linda was a marathon runner and played all sports, but especially loved basketball and tennis. In her spare "retired" time, she took up martial arts earning her 2nd degree blackbelt in 2016 while also becoming an expert pickleballer. It is safe to say that she was a fierce competitor on all playing fields. Whether it was sports, or a casual game of cards, she was passionate about the spirit of competition and loved nothing more than enjoying that with loved ones.

Linda was a woman of great faith who carried a deep love for her family and friends. She never missed an opportunity to be with family. She treasured her amazing children and could not resist bragging about them. Her many good friends that she had accumulated throughout the years were a testament to her great character.

Linda was a courageous warrior; diagnosed with cancer in August of 2015. She followed her warrior friend Kay's footsteps in being selfless, brave, and keeping an amazing outlook during her journey. She was a staunch supporter of her close friends battling their own diseases. She felt helping others to be her best medicine. The family will be forever grateful to their amazingly caring medical team for all of the support and love they gave Linda after her diagnosis: Carol, Amy, Joan, Greta, Jennifer, Heather, Dr. Bhoola, Dr. Tsai, Dr. Venkatesh, Dr. Stearns, Dr. Gobi, and the Hospice of the Valley team.

Linda was always determined to live life on her own terms. Her mental strength was truly unbreakable. Linda's mantra showcased her positive and strong outlook that allowed her to reach the goals she had for herself and others: Faith is not about everything turning out okay. Faith is about being okay no matter how it turns out.

We are celebrating that our Linda is pain free, cancer free, and flying free. A memorial mass will be held at 10 AM on Wednesday, October 21st at St. Bridget Catholic Church (2213 N Lindsay Rd. Mesa). Family and friends are welcome to gather to pay respects and celebrate the life of Linda. Social distancing and masks will be a mandatory requirement for all attendees. There will be a live streaming. Details are available at https://www.richardsonfuneralhome.org/obituary/Linda-George.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any of the following organizations:

HonorHealth Foundation at https://www.honorhealth.com/community/honorhealth-foundation/donate

Center for Pain & Supportive Care at https://drlisastearns.com

Hospice of the Valley at www.hov.org