She was about four years younger than I, but her smile brightened up any place she happened to be. Ball games in the Ayden gymnasium, the school auditorium, or in the bleachers on a cold night for football in October would be lit up with the smile that she flashed to all of us who knew or met her.
A naïve but magic smile it was, always coming at the appropriate time. I saw it because I watched and reported on many of Ayden High School’s sports back then.
Robert Weathersby, I honestly believe, is the luckiest guy on the planet. He married Linda Stox, and they had many wonderful years together and two children. And the smile that many of us admired about her was Robert’s to see every day of the rest of his life, except that it was cut short about a week ago when Linda passed away after an illness.
But you know, there was a lot more to Linda Weathersby than just her smile. It was God-given, no doubt, and she knew it. She loved God and you could see it in many of the things that she did consistently. She was my banker — everybody’s banker who did business with her — and I had the chance to see her on occasion with business matters. I was always met with that beautiful smile and a giving heart. She was a businesswoman, no doubt, but compassionate and a wonderful listener.
I knew her, too, as a fellow Chamber of Commerce member. We interacted on the board of directors and in various committees. Her quiet and easy manner sometimes counteracted the impatience of others. I was one of those who could be overtly impatient. But not Linda. She was calm and her demeanor was even-keeled, even if she was irritated. Her words were always soft and non-threatening, but simply matter-of-fact and straightforward, spoken always with love and care. She took time to think before she spoke.
I remember one day I was in her office talking about chamber business and I was miffed that someone had failed to show up to a committee meeting. She smiled, easily deflecting my impatience, with a simple statement, “We don’t know what he may be going through right now.” She was right.
As I thought about the wisdom she expertly imparted to set me straight, I wondered why I hadn’t allowed the Book of Proverbs — that’s packed with God’s wisdom — to be ingrained in my heart as much as it was ingrained inside hers. So, you see, I won’t easily forget her and what she meant, not only to me, but to so many others whose lives she undoubtedly touched every day at the bank, in her community, and at her church.
I hadn’t seen Linda since her retirement from PNC Bank. But I looked forward to seeing her Facebook page every day. She would usually have a daily scriptural Biblical post meme and would include her own personal comments. Her comments were always uplifting and provided important wisdom to all of us who looked forward to seeing and reading it.
Her last posting was Feb. 10. The scriptural meme was from 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is God-Breathed.” Linda’s comment was, “Friend, you and I can learn so much revelation just by having some quiet time with God and His Word. How powerful it is and certainly life-changing as we submit to Him.”
Linda loved God. She didn’t have to tell you either. Her actions shined a light on her and those fortunate enough to be around her simply knew she was walking that narrow path that God offers to all of us.
She guided others. Just as she “mentored” me that day in her office because of my impatience, she guided many others in the righteous path that we are to walk if we wish to be in eternity. She did it without preaching or yelling or cajoling. She did it with love in her heart and care in her straightforward words. She did it the way she mentored all of us to do it.
To Rob and family, we pray that each of you will receive the peace and comfort that only God can provide and allow the memories of your wife and mother to put smiles on your faces.
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