Obituary of Linda Irene Eby
Linda Irene Eby was born December 18, 1951, in Monroe and died May 20, 2022, in Lansing from natural causes. She had been in fragile health for many years and was a long-time resident of Lansing.
She was the fifth child born from the union of Russell J Eby and Alice (Metz) Eby. She had pet cats as companions throughout her life including her current one, Picacho. She loved animals and loved shows on the Animal Planet channel.
Linda was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Ernest P. Eby and her beloved sister Virginia A. Radcliffe who was Linda’s guardian angel for over fifty years. Linda was born blind and handicapped. She attended the Michigan School for the Blind in Lansing and later the Monroe County ISD. She was one of the original first year campers at Holiday Camp when it first opened at its North Custer Rd location in the 1950s. She talked about the good times at Holiday Camp throughout her life and the other children she met there. There was not a lot of sunshine in Linda’s life, but Holiday Camp each summer when she was young was a beacon of bright light for her.
Probably the most significant people in Linda’s life though were her mother, her sister Virginia, and her current caregiver Patti Buycks. Virginia was always there for Linda throughout most of Linda’s life. The trips Virginia made to Lansing on Linda’s behalf had to number into the hundreds. Virginia made it a point to include Linda in family gatherings at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter each year.
Caregivers like Patti Buycks come once in a lifetime. She was Linda’s devoted caregiver for the last seven years of Linda’s life.
Linda is survived by her brother David L. Eby (Vicki), sisters Leah Simms and Mary Eby-Wagner, both in Peoria, AZ, a brother-in-law, Ritch Radcliffe in LaSalle and a sister-in-law, Phyllis Eby, in Leesburg, FL.
In lieu of flowers, it is requested that memorials be directed to Holiday Camp or the Monroe County Humane Society.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Merkle Funeral Service, South Monroe; 14567 South Dixie Highway, Monroe, Michigan 48161 (734) 241-7070. Friends may gather at Merkle’s from 9:00am until 11:00am on Friday; May 27, 2022. Services will take place at 11:00am with procession following to East Ida Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery for committal services.
