Linda Irene Hicks went to be with the Lord Jesus Christ on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the age of 71. She was born to Beryl and Martha Hopkins in Laramie on Feb. 14, 1949. She was the youngest of eight children.
Linda attended Laramie High School and there met the love of her life, Larry Eugene Hicks. They were married on July 2, 1966.
Linda and Larry enjoyed the outdoors and sports. They lived in Las Vegas and got to enjoy camping, fishing and waterskiing. It was there that they had two children, Dean and Robert.
They later moved to Evanston in January 1977. Linda was a devoted mother who chased her kids around motocross tracks and ball fields for many years. Linda had a love for baseball. She grew up playing the sport and had a true knack for it. She raised her kids at the ball fields, supporting and cheering them on. This has carried on for their grandchildren who share the same passion as she did.
When their kids grew much older, Linda went to work as the manager of Taco Time in the early ’80s. She also worked for Smith’s as the camera bar manager. She later went on to work for the Wyoming State Hospital. She started as an aide and worked her way up to be a job coach in the canteen. She loved to talk and had a love for coaching her patients. Many coworkers turned into lifelong friends and she cherished them. She retired from the Wyoming State Hospital in 2010.
Linda had a true love for her family and wanted to be wherever they were. She loved motorcycle trips with her husband and sons, camping, side-by-side adventures, cooking shows, her dogs and Christmas. She adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren — they were very precious to her. She was a fun, spicy character and had a tell-it-how-it-is personality. She wasn’t afraid to state her opinion anywhere or anytime which truly made her one-of-a-kind. Her wittiness attracted so many people as she was able to make everyone laugh — and sometimes, blush.
Linda is survived by her best friend and husband, Larry Hicks; their children, Dean (Carol) Hicks and Robert (Lori) Hicks; siblings, Beryl (Linda) Hopkins Jr., Sheila (Rodger) Hartley and Anita (John) Martin; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents; siblings, Harvey Hopkins, Norma Mustain, Donna O’Dell and Myrna Virgilio; and her niece, Shelly Hoopes, who was like a sister to her.
A celebration of life will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at the Beeman Cashin building.
