Linda Roebuck was born on September 11, 1943, in Beaumont, Texas, and grew up in Augusta, Georgia. She died on Thursday, February 24, 2022, in her home in Huntsville, Alabama. Linda graduated with a degree in education from South Georgia College (now University) and began work as a teacher.
She met her beloved husband of 50 years, Zigmund James Roebuck, when Linda was pinned to Zig’s roommate at West Point, where Zig was a cadet. Linda and Zig married in August of 1967, and they had one daughter, Lindsey, who died in a car accident in 1999 at age thirty – a tragedy they met with courage and love.
Linda and Zig had a successful career in the Army, living in many places around the world; they were joyful, seasoned travelers. In 1990 Zig, as a colonel, and Linda left the Army and moved to Huntsville, where Zig worked in the defense business for ten years, and together Linda and Zig continued in Army gatherings and organizations. Zig died in November of 2017.
Linda was a dedicated and creative volunteer at several organizations in Huntsville, including a woman’s choral ensemble, Meals on Wheels, and the Constitution Village (where she was a popular costumed storyteller). Linda was a big supporter of Love and Blessings, a project providing locally handmade quilts or teddy bears to those in the oncology department at the hospital. Linda and Zig were longtime members of United Church of Huntsville (UCC), where they volunteered on multiple committees and in leadership roles over the years, including the Fellowship Board; as one congregant remembers, Linda was “a force to be reckoned with in the church kitchen.” She was a gifted musician and soprano, bringing humor, expertise, and inspiration to everything she did. Linda’s gifts of consummate storytelling, vibrant humor, and striking human insights, often drawn from her own experiences, touched many. An unusually gifted cook and baker, she and Zig hosted meals that connected people, whether at home for a few or at church for a hundred. She and Zig were also ardent dog-lovers, caring for their own as part of the family and supporting animal rescue organizations in Huntsville. They were quietly generous, helping people in thoughtful, essential ways. Linda and Zig were examples of light, love, and insight for all who knew them.
She is survived by a sister, niece, and several nephews – and mainly by the many dear friends who will feel her loss and treasure her memory.
The memorial service will be held Sunday, March 6, at 2 p.m., at United Church of Huntsville, followed by interment at 3:30 at Maple Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to A New Leash on Life or to the Music Fund of United Church of Huntsville.
