Linda L. Muratori

Linda LeAnne Muratori was an accomplished professional and a beloved wife, daughter, aunt and friend. Always gracious and caring, she etched out time for others and made new friends wherever she went. Whether traveling the world or enjoying her lakefront home, Linda shared her warmth and good humor with all who had the privilege of know her.

Linda LeAnne Malston was born December 24, 1957 in Angola, Indiana during a decade of prosperity. Growing families worked to make the American Dream a reality, and the civil rights movement became a dramatic force in U.S. history.

The daughter of Ray and Ida (Aborn) Malston, Linda lived a happy childhood by Golden Lake, and as a result, she grew to love the outdoors. With her sisters, cousins and friends, Linda spent endless hours swimming, climbing trees and sledding in winter. All the neighborhood children held birthday parties for each other and came dressed in old clothes, bearing a favorite item for the birthday person. As the youngest and smallest of the group, Linda was known as Linnie Bug, but at an early age, she already had big ideas.

Just 13 years old, Linda entered the work force by fibbing about her age and landed a job at a nursing home. With her wages, she bought a bicycle and took on a paper route to earn yet more money. The wealth Linda gained was more than monetaryshe invested her experiences in her future.

Having attended Pleasant Lake Elementary School, Linda entered high school with the usual anticipation of friendships and activity. She played the flute in the Angola High School band and looked forward to graduation in 1976. However, her life changed when a young man by the name of Robert Muratori moved to town with his fathers transfer to Pokagon State Park. As it happened, Robert came to his first biology class, where just one seat remained openright next to Linda Malston. From their first encounter, the two became high school sweet hearts and went to prom together. But in his senior year, Robs dad was transferred to southern Indiana, and he moved the family to New Harmony. Rob and Linda went their separate ways. Then 26 years later, Rob became curious about how Linda was doing. He had kept her fathers phone number and made a call to Ray Malston. Not long after, Rob made contact with Linda and the couple soon reignited their romance.

Both Linda and Rob had a full life in those intervening years. Lindas career had skyrocketed after working for some time at a local veterinary hospital. She trained in the police force and, because of her love of and experience with dogs, she became not only a Sergeant but a K9 officer for the DeKalb County Sheriffs Department with her canine partner, Coota. When Linda moved to the Columbia City area, she took her place as the police departments second female on the force and the first D.A.R.E. officer. To many 5th grade students whom she educated about how to resist drugs, Linda was well known as Officer Herron to many. She served the Columbia City Police Department from 1988 until retiring in 1998 and then worked as a City Dispatcher for two years, beginning 2000. In the year of her retirement, Linda was awarded the American Legion Post #98s Police Officer of the Year. She was also active in the Whitley Co. F.O.P. and started the Association B Program, and become a strong advocate for childrens programming. Throughout her career, Linda affected many kids and several turned their lives around for the better!

On September 20, 2001, Linda and Rob threw a BBQ that had to be delayed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to make sure family and friends could make a flight to Columbia City. With Linda as host at her Round Lake home, the party was already going well, but the excitement grew when she and Rob made an announcement. The guests were there, not just for a BBQ, but to witness a wedding. The two were married by Rosie Coyle at Golden Time, the magical moment when the sun was setting over the lake and turned everything to gold. A year and a week later, they had religious ceremony at St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church with Father Dale Bauman officiating. So it was that Linda and Rob celebrated two anniversaries and shared a life in which Linda welcomed his family as her own.

When a position became available to work abroad, Linda jumped at the opportunity, and both she and Rob worked at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia for five years. With Lindas love for travel, they took full advantage of their location and vacationed in17 other countries. Later, they transferred to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China for an additional four years. During her service with the U.S. Department of State, Linda worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency and as a Postmaster.

Linda returned to the United States in 2012 to take care of her father who had developed Alzheimers disease, and Robert followed soon after. By nature, Linda was a caring person. Often times, she baked bread for neighbors and visited or called people she knew were lonely. She taught Sunday school to 4th graders at St. Paul Catholic Church in Columbia City, where she and Rob attended regularly. She remained attentive to fellow officers as a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, the American Legion and Moose Lodge. She regularly entertained family, friends and neighbors at Round Lake with cook-outs and swimming on holidays or any occasion. In those and many other ways, Linda maintained a bond with her nephews and nieces and formed a special relationship with each step-grandchild.

In her free time, Linda gardened, cooked, crocheted and read avidly. It followed that at family gatherings, Linda exchanged books, recipes and plant tips with fellow enthusiasts. More recently, ardent-traveler Linda got to see the world from a different view when she started scuba diving. In the past six years, she and Robert traveled to the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand to go diving. Their favorite destination was a seaside resort in the Philippines, where they were on a first name basis with the staff. In fact, Linda had been studying for rescue diving and was looking forward to earning certification before she became ill 7 months ago.

Linda L. Muratori, 58, of Columbia City, Indiana, passed away Friday, January 8, 2016 at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.

Linda is deeply loved and will be forever missed by the family who meant the world to her.

Survivors include her loving husband, Robert Muratori; father, Ray Malston of Avilla; sisters, Penny (Richard) Trzynka of New Haven and Margaret Malston of Lyles, Tennessee; brother-in-law, Rick (Pam) Muratori; father and mother-in-law, Harry and Peggy Bennett; stepchildren, Todd (Lacey) Muratori, Joshua (Sara) Muratori, Sarah (Chad) Huizenga and Selena (George) Owens; grandchildren, Danielle and Gabriella Muratori, Steven, Shane and Shawn Huizenga and Clay, Bodi and Heather Muratori; beloved nieces and nephews, Elise Walls, Erin Malston, Tristen Malston, Travis Malston and Griffin Malston, all of Tennessee; many loving cousins; and her beloved dog, Riley. She was preceded in death by her mother, Ida Malston; infant sister, Cathy Malston; and brother-in-law, Ron Muratori.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday, January 15, 2016 at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Dr., Columbia City. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church, 315 S Line St, Columbia City with calling one hour prior. Father Gary Sigler will be officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in her memory to the Moose Heart, a residential childcare facility, located on a 1,000-acre campus 38 miles west of Chicago. The Child City is a home for children and teens in need, from infancy through high school. Donations may be mailed to DeMoney-Grimes, 600 Countryside Dr., Columbia City, IN 46725.