Linda C. Davis 71,- On December 12, 2021, Linda went home to be with the Lord. Her loving husband of 51 years, Earl, was by her side. In addition to Earl, Linda is survived by her son Jeffrey Davis, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and her sister Diane Delmer, of Lake Worth, Florida.
Linda was born on April 4, 1950, in Pittsburgh, PA. After graduating in 1968 from Sacred Heart High School, Linda studied economics at the University of Pittsburgh. It was inevitable that Linda would become an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan. She met Earl while attending a Navy/Pittsburgh college football game. After they married in 1970, Linda and Earl moved to Connecticut and resided for a short time in Norwich, and in 1972 moved to Ledyard. In 1975, they settled in their current home in Gales Ferry.
In 1977, Linda started her real estate career. She began by working for Oakdale Realty and later the Boyer Agency. In 1985, Linda opened RE/MAX Realty Group, one of the first RE/MAX franchises in Connecticut. Linda subsequently became a top-producing Broker and served as President of the Local Real Estate Association in 1997. Over the years, she was the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including the RE/MAX Hall of Fame Award, the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, and Realtor of the Year. She was given Realtor Emeritus Status after serving the Realtor community at the local, state, and federal levels for forty years.
In addition to listing and selling homes, Linda was also an instructor of technology. She traveled throughout the country teaching Realtors the newest technology. In 1995, Linda was part of the founding group of Realtors who gathered nationally to share marketing and technology ideas. Originally called the CompuServe forum, now called the CyberProfessionals, it was the beginning of a nationwide networking and idea sharing group unlike any other. Linda assisted in setting up two national meetings a year for the past 25 years. Linda was very proud of being part of this technologically progressive group and has been dubbed “Mom” of the organization for the past 15 years.
In addition to becoming a successful business professional, Linda also immersed herself in the Ledyard community. Linda began advocating for the community in the early 1980’s when Ledyard was experiencing a serious gypsy moth infestation. She assisted in coordinating a town-wide spraying campaign. For her efforts, Linda appeared on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather (for those who remember him!). She later joked, “Dan Rather comes to ME for the news!”
Linda’s service to Ledyard was accelerated in 1981 when she was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Committee. During this time, she was involved with the planning and construction of the Parks and Recreation/Board of Education building that is currently located on the corner of Blonders Boulevard. Later, Linda was elected to the Board of Education, both in 1985 and 1987. She would ultimately serve as Chair of the Board when elected again in 2003.
In 2005, Linda was elected to the Town Council and continued to be reelected for a total of nine consecutive terms. During her time on the Town Council, she served on the Land Use/Planning/Public Works Committee and Information Technology Committee. Her guidance was valuable in transitioning the Town to cloud-based programs. As a licensed Real Estate Broker, she was aware of the impact that blighted properties had on its neighbors and town. She proposed the establishment and contributed to the success of the Beautification Committee and the Ledyard Farmer’s Market. The Ledyard Farmer’s Market has become one of the largest and most successful Farmer’s Markets in Southeastern CT.
Also in 2005, Linda created one of the first known blogs in our immediate area, “Simply Ledyard”. She blogged about various topics and posted photos from all over Ledyard and Eastern Connecticut.
In 2008, Linda was the Volunteer Coordinator, managing over 1,000 volunteers for HGTV’s “Extreme Home Makeover” television show. The castle-like home was built in Voluntown, CT for the Girard Family.
In 2011, Linda created a Facebook Group known as the Ledyard Community Forum, now known as the Ledyard Community Resource. The Forum was initially dedicated to real estate matters, but it quickly transformed into something bigger. The Forum has become a legitimate information and discussion hub for the entire town of Ledyard. Today, the group serves approximately 7,600 members (and counting!) and is a valuable resource for town services, school closings and events, lost pets, accidents, member recommendations for various needs, and much more. The Forum is known for its “M&Ms,” Linda’s favorite candy, because M&M’s have become a symbol representing that snow is on its way. For the Forum and its members, when snow is on the way, a snow accumulation contest is also on the way! The Forum is also known for the adventures of the Ledyard Lizard, the 12 days of Christmas Giveaway Game, town-wide yard sales, and holiday decorating contests. In Linda’s honor, the holiday decorating contest of 2021 was a great success!
In 2012, Linda was elected Town Council Chairman and continued to serve in that role for nearly a decade. She supported creating an Independent Police Force, the hiring of a new Police Chief, and the relocating and renovating of both the Ledyard Police Station and the Town Hall Complex. She also worked diligently to support the 2015 School Improvement Consolidation Projects. As the Chairperson, Linda would fill in as Deputy Mayor if the current Mayor had to leave town.
In 2019, Linda was honored to receive the Ledyard Lions Humanitarian Award for her many contributions to the Ledyard community.
The Ledyard Food Pantry became one of Linda’s greatest passions. She was a huge advocate for and supporter of those in need. She mobilized countless volunteers to help with the various tasks necessary to run the Pantry. Linda herself served as the inventory supervisor and she fostered relationships with grocery stores and other food outlets that would provide food donations. When Linda needed support for the Food Pantry and reached out to the Ledyard residents, she was always humbled by the Town’s generous donations. In 2021, The Ledyard Food Pantry was renamed the Linda C. Davis Food Pantry.
On December 8, 2021 the Ledyard Town Council read a proclamation honoring Linda for her 40 years of service and dedication to the town of Ledyard, which earned her the nickname “Mother Ledyard.”
A celebration of life will be held April 2, 2022 at Ledyard High School, 24 Gallup Hill Road, Ledyard. Details to be published at a later date in the New London Day and on this website.
Linda, a respected Republican, joked that she wanted to make sure that all her favorite Democrats knew they were invited.
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