Montpelier, VT

Linda Lyon Hunter, a devoted wife, mother, and educator passed away at the age of 78 in her home in Montpelier, Vermont, on July 30, 2025.

Born in 1947 to Rudolph and Ilda Lyon in Albany, New York, Linda spent her formative years in Nassau, New York, living with her parents on one side of a Victorian home and her grandparents on the other. She enjoyed a carefree childhood that involved learning to play the piano, watching her father collect antiques, and selling zinnias from the yard to passersby. Her love of music was sparked early by hearing her mother's piano playing and her father's classical records, which she fondly remembered as being "loud enough for the neighbors to hear."

She studied at Columbia High School, where her mother also taught English literature, before attending Drew University and majoring in Psychology. In 1967, she met her beloved husband David, who was enrolled in the theological program at the University. While serving food in the College's cafeteria, Linda noticed Dave's SUNY Albany sweatshirt and they struck up a conversation on their shared connection to the city—sowing the seeds for a lifelong relationship—a "magical moment" as Dave described it many years later.

Linda earned her master's degree in education from Goucher College, where she completed her student teaching in Baltimore, Maryland, and launched a teaching career that would span half a century.

She married David Hunter on August 8, 1970, in Nassau, and the two honeymooned on the beautiful coast of Wells, Maine. In 1972, David was appointed to his first congregation at the United Methodist Church in Port Henry, New York. By the late 1970s, they were blessed with two children, Jason and Julie, and soon settled in Vermont.

Linda led a full and vibrant life—balancing a demanding teaching schedule, church participation, taking her kids to endless sports practices and music lessons, and socializing with her many friends. She earned a second master's degree from St. Michael's College, which led to her work as a special educator at Morristown Elementary School in Morrisville, Vermont. For more than three decades, she worked tirelessly, drawing on her vast skill set to provide specialized educational training to struggling students at the school. At home, she would wake up at 5 a.m. every morning, do her exercise routine, work on IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) for her students, and then make the long drive from Worcester (later Montpelier) to Morrisville.

Her exemplary work was honored in 2009 when she was recognized as a Vermont Outstanding Teacher by the University of Vermont College of Education and Social Services. As further evidence of her passion for teaching, Linda helped to create a graduate-level course centered on reading instruction at St. Michael's College, which she offered for many summers to the next generation of teachers entering the workforce.

Even in retirement, she continued her legacy as a leader in the field of education by completing the rigorous Orton-Gillingham Academy training. First an Associate, she later achieved the advanced level of Certified Literacy skills Instructor. In the classroom, and via Zoom during the Pandemic, Linda had an uncanny ability to connect with her students and teach them essential literacy skills to pave the way for successful careers. Even the most challenging students, who in some cases refused to work with other teachers, were open to learning under her kind and supportive approach.

Linda shared a close bond with her mother, Ilda, and together they made special trips in the summer to Tanglewood to hear the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Linda also loved the opera, and she and her mother began traveling to New York City multiple times a year to attend the Metropolitan Opera. Boarding a train in Albany early in the morning, they would peacefully ride alongside the Hudson River to Penn Station, before enjoying operas such as "La Bohème," "Don Giovanni," "Aida," "Akhenaten," and "The Magic Flute." After her mother's passing, she continued the tradition by traveling the same route with her friends and sitting in the same seats at the famous opera house.

Her love of travel took her around the world—to Bermuda, Block Island, Puerto Vallarta, England, Ghana, Europe, and Egypt. In 2023, she embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime Road Scholar journey to the Galápagos Islands and Machu Picchu, where she snorkeled with sea turtles and explored ancient Incan ruins.

Linda always lit up the room and brought together people from all walks of life. Her warm presence, loving nature, and impressive work ethic were just some of her enduring traits throughout her life. She was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed by her family, friends, and the broader educational community.

After a courageous battle with advanced esophageal cancer, Linda passed away at home, surrounded by her loving husband and children. The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to her caregivers—especially the team at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, the staff at CVMC, and her hospice nurses—for their compassion and care.

Linda was predeceased by her parents, Rudolph and Ilda (Kirkpatrick) Lyon. She is survived by her beloved husband, David Hunter, and her cherished children and their partners: Jason Hunter (Lorette Murray) and Julie Hunter (Martin Obeng).

A funeral service will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church, 137 Main Street, Montpelier, Vermont on Saturday, August 9, 2025. Visitation will be from 2 p.m. until the start of the funeral service, beginning at 3:00

In honor of Linda's life and legacy, memorial contributions may be made to:Trinity United Methodist Church or Doctors Without Borders.