Linda Rose (Leiker) Hess passed away on September 5, 2022 at St. Lawrence Hospice in Lansing, Michigan at the age of 74, surrounded by her family. The cause of death was malignant melanoma, which ran its course in seven weeks.

Linda was born on June 6, 1948 in Great Bend, Kansas to Ernie and Roberta Leiker. She and her husband of 53 years, Hubert (Hugh) Hess were married in Great Bend, Kansas in June of 1969. They lived throughout the world, from Germany to Saudi Arabia to Washington D.C. and finally settled in Okemos, Michigan, where they have lived since 1990.

Always a teacher, with a degree from the University of Kansas, she taught adult education classes to Army soldiers, she volunteered to teach English as a second language and worked at the State of Michigan’s Legislative Service Bureau. In March 1990 she received a certificate of grateful appreciation from the Chief of Staff of the US Army for twenty years of faithful service with her husband.

Linda found joy in performing through her life; she filled her children and grandchildren’s lives with silly songs, which they still know the words to, she was a docent and Secretary to Michigan State University’s Wharton Center for the Performing Arts Inner Circle and performed with the Holt Dimondale Community Players. Her passion of the past decade was playing the ukulele. She was an active member of the Lansing Area ukulele community with the East Lansing Senior Center’s Prime Time Players, Just 4 Strings and other informal ukulele groups in the area.

She is survived by her sister, Janice Magaña (Conce) of Wichita, Kansas, her husband of 53 years, Hubert (Hugh) Hess, her daughters, Melissa Bartl (Tim) of Arlington, Virginia and Meredith Farrell (Trevor) of Beaverton, Oregon and her four grandchildren, Alexander, Nicholas and Nina Bartl and Matthew Farrell who are all grateful she made Hugh buy the timeshare in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 35 years ago, so they could all return, year after year, and make new memories.

She was predeceased by her parents, Ernie and Roberta Leiker, a sister Judy Laux and a nephew, Peter Hess.

A celebration of Linda’s life will be October 4th. Information about the event and donations to a new trust in her name to fund local music programs can be found at on this site. All are welcome. She will be buried later this year at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

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