Linda S. DeLeon's Obituary
Linda DeLeon passed away on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at the age of 71. She was born, Linda Sue Stutzman, on May 6, 1949 in Plymouth, Indiana. Linda was the third of 4 children. She was a chubby little baby with lots of hair, and she was always a happy child. Linda’s family was tight-knit and very loving. Her grandparents were Amish, which many people did not know. Linda resided in Indiana most of her childhood.
Her family moved to Texas in 1966 for a business venture in which they came to run three Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants. It was at their “chicken store” in Galveston where Linda met John and fell in love. In addition to working together at KFC, they also had jobs at night. John was lead singer of a band and Linda was a go-go dancer at the club. Many of us can easily visualize this, knowing her love of music and fun-loving personality. These two lovebirds were married a year later on July 29, 1967. They quickly started their family when their daughter, Cathy, was born, followed by the birth of their son, Joe, two years later. They were so proud of their kids and always loved them unconditionally. They moved their new family to Clute in 1972, which later led to them taking over the KFC in Lake Jackson in 1975. In 1983 the family sold their “chicken store” and moved to Pearland, which is where they remained. John and Linda loved spending time together. They bowled in a league where they won several trophies and they also worked together for 10 years during rodeo season selling cowboy hats. Linda managed a couple of convenience stores in Pearland for several years, and then went into the fastener business in 1988. During this time she took on the nickname “Madre”, which was given to her by Joe’s high school friends because she was like a second mother to many of them. She would leave work just to come home and cook a hot lunch for Joe and his friends during his junior and senior years of high school. Even after Joe moved to San Marcos to attend college, “Madre” had an open-door policy if his friends ever needed a place to stay. In 1990 she became a mother-in-law to Said when he married Cathy, and later to Shari when Joe married her in 1995. Her favorite title though was “MaMa”, which is a role she took on in 1997 when Tanner and Zack were born, with Parker and Hannah to follow in 2000 and Conner in 2003. MaMa’s grandkids were her pride and joy, and they could do no wrong! She created a special, irreplaceable spot in her grandkids’ hearts because she was all about making memories with them. MaMa lived for moments like taking them to watch wrestling at the VFW Hall, playing with them at the park, dressing up with them for Halloween, taking them deep-sea fishing, going to the beach or lake with them, watching them play their baseball, football and volleyball games, and even showing up early before school as the “breakfast fairy” to surprise them with Breakfast Jacks from Jack in the Box. Nothing made her happier than being MaMa to her grandkids.
MaMa loved cooking and having the whole family together, especially for holidays. She enjoyed serving others, as many of you know from her days of running “MaMa’s Kitchen” for the Pearland Patriots. She made it her mission to ensure that everyone around her felt welcome and loved. She never met a stranger, and everyone was her “friend” even if she didn’t know their name. It is difficult to picture her without a smile on her face and was impossible not to laugh along with her when she laughed. She was always full of joy and focused on the bright side of things, even after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on March 5, 2018. MaMa kept a positive attitude throughout her long battle, even during her many chemo treatments, scans and other procedures. She was determined to beat cancer and always believed she would but, ultimately, her time came to join PaPa in Heaven. She went peacefully surrounded by the family that she loved so much. Linda was preceded in death by her husband, John DeLeon; her mother, Catherine Stutzman and her father, Isaac Stutzman. Linda leaves behind to cherish her beautiful memories: daughter, Cathy Tekrouri and husband Said; son, Joe DeLeon and wife Shari; grandchildren, Tanner DeLeon, Zack Tekrouri, Parker DeLeon, Hannah Tekrouri, and Conner DeLeon; brothers, Joe Stutzman and David Stutzman; sister, Sandra Clemons; numerous other family members and countless friends.
Below is a link that will live broadcast the day of services for Mrs. Linda S. DeLeon. http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/29951
What’s your fondest memory of Linda?
What’s a lesson you learned from Linda?
Share a story where Linda's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Linda you’ll never forget.
How did Linda make you smile?
