Linda's obituary
Linda Lou Lentz Partida, beloved wife, mother and sister passed away on July 22, 2025, in Keller, Texas. She is survived by her husband Ralph Partida; daughter April Yvonne Jennison of Keller, Texas; daughter Catessa Marie Bell of Ashland City, Tennessee; grandson Dominick Cardenas of Clovis, New Mexico; brother John Edward Lentz (Janice) of Corinth, Texas; sister Holly Lynn Lentz Kleeman (Andrew) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Preceded in death by parents Tom Edward and Betty Lou Lentz of Tullahoma, Tennessee.
Linda had a captivating appeal when people would first meet her as her charisma radiated to anyone nearby. She made strangers smile when she greeted them. Faces of friends and acquaintances lit up when they approached her for a hug or conversation. Wherever she was at was THE place to be as she made any encounter exciting with her effervescent charm. Once you knew Linda, she was a friend for life. She made people feel happy and inspired with only a few words and a genuine smile.
Center in Linda’s life was music. She was an expert pianist and taught many students how to play well. One could hear the tickling of the ivories in the evenings emitting from the Lentz household as she practiced her craft to perfection. And as good as she was on the piano, her true musical passion was singing. She loved to sing and talk about singing with others. She felt at home singing in choirs with others who shared her drive for vocal excellence. And Linda unknowingly inspired others to make a career in the music industry with the influences she provided. It is difficult to think of Linda without recalling enthusiastic smiles while performing or teaching music.
Linda gave life to two beautiful girls and from their perspective, she was awesome. Her first daughter, April Yvonne Jennison, was born on July 30th, 1974. Ten years later to the day her second daughter, Catessa Marie Bell, came forth into the world on July 30th, 1984. How extraordinary to have two daughters born on the same day! This created a strong and everlasting bond between the girls that stayed even stronger for the final days and moments of Linda's life. Raising two girls in two different decades created opportunities for Linda to really bond with them. Linda rarely missed a cross-country meet to see April cross the finish line. With Catessa, the world of theatre gave opportunity for them to perform together on stage.
For her own pastime, Linda ingrained herself into the world of antique trading. She had an innate knowledge of worth and availability for antiques and loved to buy and sell them. Much like her father, she was a skilled negotiator and made her buyers feel content with their purchases. While she loved the antique items she bought and sold, discussing them and putting the items into the hands of people who appreciated them was what made her happy. The antique industry had no better ambassador than Linda.