Linda Lee Martinson

Linda Lee Martinson, 75, of Walkersville, Maryland, passed from this life on Sunday, November 12, 2023, at her home in Walkersville, MD. She was the beloved wife of James Melvin Martinson for 50 years; the cherished mother of Linda Christi Head, James Melvin Martinson, Jr., and Holly Martinson Phongsuwan; and the loving grandmother of Joseph Head, Jack Martinson, Finn Martinson, Lucy Phongsuwan, and Amelia Phongsuwan.

Born on November 20, 1947, in Bethesda, MD, she was the daughter of the late William Thomas and Linda Rose (Zucconi) Johnson. She was the patient big sister of her four brothers, William Johnson (deceased), Michael Johnson, Kevin Johnson, and Thomas Johnson, and was the loving aunt to many nieces and nephews across the Johnson and Martinson families.

Almost everyone knew her as Lee, from her immediate family to her neighbors, to the community at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church in Walkersville, where she was a member of the parish for over 40 years. In her years as an elementary school teacher, her students called her Miss Lee, and she was known in the classroom as a patient and kind teacher who had a positive influence on many young people. 

Setting Lee on an unexpected path, her husband once gave her a craft project to occupy her hands while she recovered from a car accident. From that moment onwards, Lee set about making her own quilts, pillows, dolls, paintings, and other hand-crafted items. Homemade art fills her house and the homes of her children, friends, and countless others. With craft shows as an excuse for travel, the family went on adventures up and down the East Coast. Lee especially loved visiting any lighthouse she could get to, and lighthouses were a major theme in her art. Craft shows in New England were therefore some of her favorite destinations, with lighthouses seemingly around every rocky corner of the coast, but she was probably most proud of contributing to the vibrant Springfest, Sunfest, Colorfest, and Maryland Christmas Shows closer to home. Trips to the ocean, for craft shows or otherwise, became a mainstay of Lee’s life, and she introduced the love of the beach, and nature in general, to her children and grandchildren.

Lee was endlessly kind and supportive. She taught her children that they could follow their own, individual dreams, and she never doubted that they would be successful. She drove for hours and hours to get them to and from college, even over scary, tall bridges. And she cheered for both teams when Duke played Carolina. She was a model of hard work, dedication, and endless love.

She never met a stranger who didn’t become a friend, and once you walked in the door to her home, you were family. Even during her final illness, she was always quick with a smile and knew the faces and voices of all her loved ones. She made it through the difficult last few years with her husband by her side, the TV playing the original Magnum P.I., the amazing efforts of her caregivers, and mint chocolate chip ice cream. 

Lee was and will continue to be the beacon of light to those who knew her.

The family will receive family and friends from 2-4 pm on Sunday, November 19, 2023, at Stauffer Funeral Home, 1621 Opossumtown Pike in Frederick, MD.
 
A mass of Christian burial will take place at 10 am on Monday, November 20, 2023, at St. Timothy's Catholic Church, 8651 Biggs Ford Road in Walkersville, MD. Rev. Juan Vazquez Rubio will officiate. Interment will be at All Souls Cemetery in Germantown, MD, following the mass.