Linda Marie Zion

Linda Marie Zion, age 63, passed away at her home in Fort Wayne, IN, on December 22, 2022, surrounded by her loving and supportive family after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Linda was born on August 12, 1959, in Fort Wayne, Indiana and was raised by her mother, Barbara MacPherson, and her grandparents, George and Viola Wert. After attending North Side High School, Linda worked almost 30 years in the service industry before becoming an Abstractor. Linda had 3 daughters, a grandson, and was happily married to the love her life for 27 years.

Linda is survived by her adoring husband, Rex Zion, her three loving daughters, Barbara (Bree) Kaylor, Stacey (Cassie) Navarro, and Sarah (Shannon) Smith, her beloved grandson, Chase Ledbetter, her 4 siblings, Lorrie (Mic) Biberstine, Ginny (Keith) Minick, Chuck (Carma) MacPherson and George Carney, her mother in-law Linda Zion, her brother in-law Randy (Kathy) Zion, many nieces and nephews, and dear friends Ada McMullen, Bobbi Dean, and Krissy Luntz.

Linda was preceded in death by her mother and grandparents, and her two siblings, April and Steven MacPherson, her nephew Troy Biberstine, her father in-law, Bill Zion and her grandmother in-law June Lake.

It's not easy to sum up Linda's life in just a few sentences. She was a complex, vibrant and charismatic woman that lived the life she wanted at her own pace and on her own terms.

She was without a doubt the life of any party and she commanded attention with whatever she did, and everything she did, she did well. Whether hosting gatherings at her home or tending bar at her job, she was a perfectionist and expected nothing less from others.

Linda's captivating demeanor made it easy for her to make conversation, whether that be chatting up the clerks at the courthouse while Abstracting, or by trash talking her way through a game of cards with her family and friends while using colorful language, which her daughters compared to that of a truck driving sailor.

Linda was also a lady and a grand hostess. She took pride in her home and enjoyed hosting get-togethers with the help of her husband Rex. The events included everything from pool parties and game nights to simple bonfires or family dinners. If you were a guest in her home, she'd make sure you left feeling full, not just from food and drink, but from love and laughter as well.

She was a snappy dresser who lived to shop and if she found something she liked, she made sure to buy it in every color. She loved life and loved having a good time. Some of her favorite past times were spent traveling or enjoying lazy days with her best friends while cruising around the lake on a pontoon boat.

Her life revolved around her husband and her animals and she thrived on caring for them. One of Linda's favorite past-times was visiting casinos with her husband, where she spent hours playing slot machines and doubling as his good luck charm.

Linda cherished time with her daughters and never missed the chance to tell them how much she loved them. She was proud of their achievements and often showed her girls love and adoration through the little gifts and trinkets she would buy them, which were always accompanied by a card.

Her grandson Chase was her pride and joy, and from the moment he was born she swore she would give him more than she was able to give her daughters. She spent 23 years spoiling him and lavishing him with love. She was often told by her daughters that she spoiled him too much, to which she would reply "that's what grandmas are for."

Her happiest times were spent having family time, which typically included games like aggravation with her husband and daughters, and penny poker and euchre with her sisters and brothers. The siblings were as close as any could be and spent many years laughing and playing their way through good times like dinner nights, holidays, birthdays, graduations, and many more.

To sum it up, Linda was a natural born caregiver who was loved by all and known as "mom" by her daughters many friends. She built strong, lifelong friendships and loved good food, music, dancing and above all, her family and friends - with whom she wanted nothing more than to laugh and enjoy precious moments.

In March of this year Linda was diagnosed with Stage 4 Merkel Cell Carcinoma. After receiving the grave diagnosis, she decided she would fight for every moment she had left until her very last breath, and that is exactly what she did.

Family and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life brunch on January 7th at The Garden, 3308 N. Anthony Blvd from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Please come and help us celebrate a life well lived by Linda with drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Donations can be made in Linda's name to Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control at https://www.cityoffortwayne.org/donations.html.