Indianapolis
Linda Lee Hitchcock Kelsay, 64, formerly of Columbus, died Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016, at the home of her daughter in Indianapolis.
Born in Tampa, Florida, Linda was the daughter of Wayne Thomas and Barbara Lee Navarra Hitchcock. She moved to northern Indiana in 1959 and lived at Grissom Air Force Base. Her father was a 26-year Air Force veteran and she was proclaimed to be an “Air Force brat.”
She attended St. Joseph School, Logansport School and graduated from Maconaquah High School in Bunker Hill. She later lived in Greensburg, Shelbyville and Columbus.
Over her lifetime, Linda worked at Planned Parenthood in the 1980s where she chaired the in-service training program for the staff, was an executive secretary, administrative assistant and worked in customer service at the former Home Federal. She later worked for the City of Greensburg and was instrumental in opening the youth center there. Her passion was collecting tall ships and lighthouses and spending time with her children and grandchildren.
Linda is survived by her mother, Barbara Lee Navarra Hitchcock of Columbus; daughters, Jennifer (Charlie Gibson) Ruse of Indianapolis and Tyne Kelsay of Columbus; sisters, Martha (Anthony) Franklin of Covington, Kentucky, and Alicia (Kris) Hitchcock-Kramer of Columbus; four grandchildren, Austin Gibson of Columbus, Samantha and Brandon Ruse of Indianapolis and Kloe Mays of Columbus.
Linda was preceded in death by her father and her maternal and paternal grandparents.
In keeping with Linda’s wishes, cremation is planned.
There will be a gathering of family and friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26 at Myers-Reed Chapel on 25th Street, with a celebration of Linda’s life to follow.
Memorials for Linda may be directed to St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, or St. Francis Hospice in Indianapolis.
Online condolences may be sent to Linda’s family at myers-reed.com.
