Linda Metcalf

1950 - 2025

- On Sunday, October 26, 2025 we said goodbye for a time to our beautiful mom, wife, Grams, sister, cousin and friend, Linda Lee Hastings Metcalf. Linda passed away of natural causes as she slept peacefully. We already miss her so much.

Linda was the first child born to Manuel C. and Thelma T. Hastings in Farmington, New Mexico on February 11, 1950. She came into this world as a uniquely gifted and highly talented person, and kept those qualities throughout her life. She was a big sister to Manalynn, Mitzi and Curtis, and frequently escaped helping with the dishes because she had to "practice the piano". She became quite an accomplished pianist and dancer, and while attending Farmington High School she would design and sew her own highly fashionable wardrobe.

It was there, at Farmington High School, that she met her beloved eternal companion, our dad and Gramps, Roger Metcalf. Roger caught her attention with his "sparkling eyes" and his talented abilities as a drummer.Their senior year, before they even started dating, they were both voted "most talented" - Linda for dancing and Roger for drumming - and had their picture taken together and published in the high school year book. This photo captures Roger's admiration for Linda, and is such a treasure for us.

After high school, Linda attended BYU for a summer then continued at Dallas Fashion Merchandising College in Texas. The separation from Roger didn't last long and they found themselves back in Farmington. They married on January 24, 1970 at the age of 19. Linda started her first business, a women's clothing store at Palmer Plaza in Farmington, called The Balcony.

Nine months and one day after their wedding day, they welcomed their first child, Aleis. Then came their son Aaron, after a move to Tempe, Arizona. Next came their youngest child, Amy, after a move to Tucson, Arizona.

Linda was a life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had an unwavering testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This gave her much peace and comfort throughout her life. While living in Tucson, she supported Roger in joining the church. On January 28,1977 the family was sealed for time and all eternity in the Mesa, Arizona temple. Most of Linda's callings in the church were music-related. She served through playing the piano, leading the music, and writing, directing and producing multiple road shows. Her other love was participating in family history and temple work.

Also while living in Tucson, Linda started her second business, a children's clothing store called Kids' Stuff. A few years later, the store name was changed to Kiddly Winks and it expanded to Phoenix, then Odessa and Midland, Texas, with franchises in Victoria, TX and McAllen, TX.The family relocated to Odessa where the oil market was booming, but after several profitable years the oil market crashed and so did the business. Linda and Roger then took their family to Plano, Texas where Linda worked in sales for Faces Magazine and then started another business as an interior decorator.

Linda continued her talent as a seamstress and would custom make drapes and other accessories for her clients. She delighted in making homecoming and prom dresses for her daughters, and even made Aleis' wedding gown.

In 1994, Linda and Roger moved to Denver where they ran an assisted living facility for a time. Then, once again, Linda's creative energy led them to run a bed & breakfast in Mancos, Colorado.

Next stop was San Marcos, California where Roger and Linda ran Spirit Halloween stores in San Diego County. During this time, they also became grandparents. The grandkids loved receiving costumes and Halloween decorations each year from Grams and Gramps.They also loved coming for visits and going to Legoland and Disneyland!

When they were ready to retire, Linda and Roger relocated to Salt Lake City, UT to live near their four - which soon became six - grandchildren. But this didn't stop Linda's creative juices from flowing. Linda wrote a screenplay (Shady Ridge), a stage play (Tina the Tooth Fairy) and then a book (Julia, Mistress of Longwood). She continued to be a seamstress - making costumes for the play and for some of her granddaughters' ballet performances and Halloween costumes. She was always willing to mend or hem anything for any of us.

Throughout much of these adult years, Linda and Roger would form bands - Linda on piano and Roger on drums - and they would entertain at various country clubs including the Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona and the Petroleum Club in Odessa, Texas. Roger and Linda loved music and they loved to dance together. The kids would often see them dancing together in the kitchen or living room. Linda and Roger also loved to play the piano and drums together at home, and did so frequently.

In her later years, Linda was diagnosed with - and survived - breast cancer. After her recovery, she was able to serve a year-long mission with Roger at the Family History Center in Manhattan, New York. A few years later, she developed a benign tumor on her spine which was removed but left her with debilitating pain for the rest of her years on earth. We are so happy she is now finally pain-free, and we are deeply grateful for the selfless, loving care of her devoted husband, Roger.

Linda is survived by her husband of 55 years, Roger Metcalf, her children: Aleis (Kevin), Aaron, and Amy (Derek); her six grandchildren: Alexa, Megan (Blake), Eli, Halle, Maeve and Abe, and siblings Manalynn, Mitzi (David) and Curtis (Sheree). She is joining her parents, Manuel and Thelma, and brother-in-law, Cy Cooper, in heaven. We rejoice in this reunion and look forward to all being together again someday.

A graveside service honoring Linda's life will be held on Thursday, October 30, 2025 at 2:00pm at Elysian Gardens, 1075 E. 4580 South in Salt Lake City. A luncheon will follow at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4350 S. 1100 East.