Obituary

Born in Carthage, MO, Linda lived with her husband, Ken, and family in Kansas City, MO, and Lake Lotawana, MO, for her entire life. She attended Southwest High School, earned an undergraduate degree at K-State University, and a Masters in Education at UMKC. She put her education to good use, working as a beloved elementary teacher for 20 years. Her students loved the creativity she brought to the classroom, her perfect penmanship, her crazy energy, and the host of animals she kept in the classroom through the years (parakeet, turtledoves, guinea pigs, one-eyed turtle, bunnies).

In addition to her impact as a teacher, she spent years volunteering for the Village Presbyterian Church food pantry. Each week, she would drive 45 minutes to the Pantry, stopping by Hy-Vee on her way to load her tiny red Miata convertible, or later, her red VW Beetle convertible with gallons of almost-expired milk and other dairy items so she could help supply families in need with food and clothes.

Linda was as passionate about art as she was teaching, and she decided to teach her grandkids about art. In Ken and Linda’s beautiful home on Lake Lotawana, she insisted on permanent space for an art studio. For 7 years, grandchildren Myah and Tye, along with their cousins Zyza and Addie, would take the school bus to her house weekly for art lessons with Grandma. When her other 3 grandkids would visit, Grandma would always make time for an art lesson!

She also volunteered in the Village Church’s Art Ministry program, painting a beautiful mural in the church. And while she was President of the PTA at Somerset Elementary, she spearheaded a project to paint murals in the halls of the school of children holding hands. Although she would be the first to tell you the acrylic or watercolor paintings she did through the years were not good enough, all three of her kids have some of her beautiful work in prominent places in their homes and will treasure these pieces forever.

Linda was also passionate about reading. Always looking for the next book to read, she was a fixture at the book club at Lake Lotawana and submitted reviews to the Lotawana Express newspaper for years!

Linda spent early years with parents Don and June Piercy, and her brothers Ronnie and Jeff. When she met Ken in high school, it was true love, and she followed him to K-State. They married while still in college and moved from Manhattan back to Kansas City to start a family. Linda taught until she became pregnant with Laura. In those days, teachers could not be pregnant and still be on the job, so she had to put her career on hold to raise children. Linda had two more babies, Lisa and Mark, then when Mark was old enough to attend school, she resumed her career as a teacher in the Shawnee Mission School District.

Raising three small children, Ken and Linda were busy at home, but they still found time to pursue their love of sailing. They bought a Snipe sailboat that they named “The Moonlighter” (Ken worked nights to pay it off) and joined the Snipe fleet at Lake Lotawana. A friend allowed them to rent a small, over-water cottage called “The Shack” during weekends in the summer, and they hauled fishing rods, inner-tubes, and kids to the rustic cabin at the lake.

After a few years, Ken and Linda made plans with Chuck and Judy Falkenberg to purchase a log cabin on the lake and merge their two families for the summer. The two families spent many glorious summers together on the lake, sailing, waterskiing, swimming, and fishing. The kids spent summers like they were in camp, sleeping in a bunk room with no air conditioning, and waking up to the sound of Linda beating pots and pans and singing “Wake up, wake up, the birds are singing!”

Linda loved to entertain, and she often planned lake days for her great lifelong friends, the “Cronies” (Skip, Sue, and Duana), driving slowly around the lake to look at all the houses. She also hosted fun-filled, poker-playing, skinny dipping Adult weekends with other college friends (the Whites, Ihdes, and Butlers).

As avid sailors, Ken and Linda became members of the Missouri Yacht Club, where they socialized with their lake friends on weekends. Linda was also part of the Social Butterly fleet on the lake, racing sailboats with her friends, and then attending elaborate lunches afterward. She spent many hours in the Lotawana Community Club, where she served as chairman for the homes tour, garden tour, and other events.

Ken and Linda were avid travelers — especially on boats. Ken was a licensed boat captain, and they took their family on trips to the British Virgin Islands several times. Ken and Linda enjoyed coastal New England cruises and traveling throughout the U.S. and Europe. Linda also kept in close contact with many of her sorority sisters at Gamma Phi Beta, taking an annual girls’ trip to destinations throughout the U.S.

Linda loved to bake and cook food for her family. She made dinner every night and encouraged everyone around her to eat dessert after dinner. Of course, that’s why the whole famly has a sweet tooth…and probably one of the main inspirations for Laura’s quest to explore a million ways to make pies.

Linda was a huge, lifelong sports fan, and you could often see her in her signature purple K-State attire, Royals blue, or Chiefs red. She was a big supporter of Lisa’s swimming, Mark’s soccer, and Lotawana ski club while her kids were growing up, and she loved to attend her grandkids’ soccer, swimming, tennis, sailing, skiing, or football games/meets/matches.

Lastly, as most creatives are, she loved music and entertainment. She regularly attended the Missouri Reparatory Theater, Ken’s Lee’s Summit Symphony concerts, Laura and Bill’s Festival and Summer Singers concerts, and Alex and Andrew’s Wilmington Boys Choir concerts. She had a beautiful alto voice and once cut a record with her friend Jocyln in college.

We will miss her beautiful soul, her boundless energy, her love for chocolate and Evan Williams bourbon, her Nutcracker obsession (she had about 150), and her incredible love for all of her dear friends and family. When her kids left her or ended a call, we’d say, “I love you.” Every time, she answered back, “I love you more!” Fitting for someone who gave everything she had to those around her!

She is survived by her brother Jeff Piercy, daughter Laura Rene Baker, daughter Lisa Beth Hill, son Mark Murray Frashier, son-in-laws William Baker and Thomas Hill, and daughter-in-law Sarah Frashier. 5 grandchildren Alexander Thomas Hill (21), Zachary William Baker (21), Myah June Frashier (20), Andrew Turner Hill (19), and Tye Cooley Frashier (18), and two step-grandchildren John Kenneth Baker and Marguerite Emilie Baker.

A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Village Presbyterian Church Chapel in Prairie Village, Kansas. A celebration of life gathering will be held Wednesday, July 29, 2026 from 3:00 p.m. – ??? at the Missouri Yacht Club in Lake Lotawana, Missouri.